Bukidnon sugar planters reject US export quota

QUEZON, Bukidnon — Bukidnon sugar planters have strongly opposed further sugar exports after the United States granted an extra raw sugar export quota for fiscal year 2027.

The pushback comes as local farmers navigate significant challenges, including pest infestations, volatile fuel prices, El Niño, and high costs of farm inputs. The majority are demanding better mill gate prices.

Manuel Antonio Zubiri, president of the Mindanao Sustainable Sugarcane Agricultural Development Federation Inc. (MINFED), emphasized the urgent need to prioritize local agricultural interests over excessive exportation to ensure domestic sugar supply and price stability.

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READ: Planters, labor groups decry low sugar pricesHe drove the point during the 25th annual assembly of the Sugarcane Growers Association of Bukidnon, Inc. and the Sugarcane Farmers of Bukidnon Multi-Purpose Cooperative (SGABI-SFBMPC) on Saturday, October 31, which was attended by close to 10,000 of SGABI-SFBMPC’s 12,568 members.

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According to the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR), the Philippines received an additional 9,151 metric tons raw value (MTRV) for the period covering October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027.This amount comes on top of the country’s unchanged allocation of 145,235 MTRV.Zubiri urged the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) to regulate exports carefully, warning that over-exporting amid declining local production could trigger massive sugar imports and ruin local farmers.Zubiri’s MINFED represents four sugar groups in Bukidnon comprising 23,704 members, accounting for about 58% of the province’s total sugar production.SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona stated that the agency had written to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to request an extension before making a formal commitment. “We need to monitor and verify our raw production,” Azcona said.In July, the USTR earmarked 1.12 million MTRV in export quotas for raw cane sugar for FY 2027.

READ: Bukidnon planters seek fixed price for raw sugarThe Philippines holds the second-biggest export quota from Washington, trailing only the Dominican Republic, with the remaining 55,993 MTRV distributed among 28 other countries through the US tariff-rate quota (TRQ) system./coa