ARBs group commends lawmaker
THE Negros Farm Workers and Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Producers Federation (Nefarb) commended Third District Representative Alfredo Benitez for filing House Resolution No. 2017, acting promptly on their call to investigate the continuous drop of sugar prices.
Benitez filed on December 6, House Resolution No. 1512 after he received reports of alleged manipulation by some traders that have pulled down the prices of sugar.
The group in a press release on Sunday said: “If the result of the House investigation will prosper into a positive resolution to the sugar industry problem, this will be a whopping relief for the 60,000 small and medium sugarcane planters that suffer a devastating effect of low sugar prices for months since milling season started this crop year 2017-2018.”
“(S)till, we must prepare for the worst because of the uncontrolled market forces that dictate the prices of commodities under the free trade regime of liberalized economy entered into by the Philippine government,” Nefarb added.
The group also called on all stakeholders to be vigilant on the last stretch of the milling season.
“If the price of sugar is not rewarding for us small and medium planters, we will be compelled to discontinue sugarcane farming. And we will demand for a government bailout to diversify,” Nefarb said.