Sugar output improving

January 3, 2021
Louise Maureen Simeon (The Philippine Star) | https://bit.ly/3oeFsUm

MANILA, Philippines — Local sugar supply has remained stable as production improves and with overall output for the current crop year likely to increase.

Latest data from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) showed that local raw-sugar production went up 31 percent to 407,770 metric tons as of the first week of December.

The current production is higher than the 311,617 MT recorded in the same period in 2019. Sugar crop year starts every September and ends in August.

Based on data on sugar production for the crop year, output in terms of 50-kilogram bags reached 8.15 million from 6.23 million a year ago.

Further, the country’s raw-sugar demand rose 19 percent to 407,569 MT from 343,597 MT.

The total sugarcanes milled during the period was 5.14 million MT, up 38 percent from the previous year’s 3.71 million MT.

In terms of refined sugar, production decreased by 34 percent to 73,290 MT.

Meanwhile, the mill-gate price of the commodity remained flat at P1,510 per 50-kilo bag.

This year, local sugar production will likely go up by two percent to 2.19 million MT.

Almost all sugar produced in the Philippines is consumed locally where about 50 percent of domestic consumption is accounted for by industrial users, 32 percent by households and the remaining 18 percent by institutions.