Guv warns low sugar prices threaten Negros economy

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has expressed concern over the continuing drop in sugar prices, warning that it poses serious challenges not only to small farmers but to the province’s agricultural economy as a whole.

“The low price of sugar is definitely not good for us, even for very efficient farms. If prices stay that way, the best result will only be a break-even,” Lacson told reporters Friday.

He added that for small farmers in rural areas, the impact could be much worse.

He noted that with the current low prices, some planters may be forced to skip planting for the next crop year, while others may opt to simply ratoon (harvest regrowth from old canes) with minimal fertilizer use, which could lead to lower yields in the succeeding season.

Lacson also said it is still too early to tell if the situation will persist, noting that “this week, prices reportedly went up by a few pesos.”

He acknowledged claims by several sugar leaders that the market is being manipulated by traders and welcomed the move of Negros Island district representatives to raise the matter at the national level.

“I think it’s good that our congressmen have banded together and made it a national issue. Let’s observe in the next couple of weeks if there will be an improvement,” he said.

When asked if he would join calls for the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to act on the plummeting prices, Lacson said the agency had already taken an initial step by assuring that no new sugar importation will be allowed until next year.

“If there’s anything they have to explain, let them do so,” the governor said.

He added, “But definitely it’s not good if the prices remain at this level. It should at least go back to the general average of last milling crop — around PHP 2,700 to PHP 2,800 per 50-kilo bag. Of course, the ideal is PHP 3,000, but definitely not at this price.”

The governor reiterated his support for any measure that could help restore sugar prices to a “comfortable level,” citing the industry’s importance to Negros Occidental’s economy.

Lacson stressed, “We as a province know that sugar is still our biggest driver in our economy, so it cannot be that this problem will persist — this problem of low price of sugar.”

“Anything that will talk about the sugar price, anything that can bring a solution to this downward trend, I will support,” Lacson stressed.

Sugar farmers across Negros Island have raised alarms over the steep drop in mill gate prices at the start of the 2025–2026 milling season.

Industry groups, including the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters (NFSP), Confederation of Sugar Producers (CONFED), and the Panay Federation of Sugarcane Farmers (PANAYFED), have blamed the decline on Sugar Order No. 8, which authorized the importation of refined sugar allegedly signed before proper consultations with stakeholders.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration, however, has denied irregularities in the issuance of the order and assured that no new import program will be implemented until next year as part of efforts to stabilize the market.