Senator, group to lead sugar summit

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri tasked Tatak Kalamay to spearhead the multi-sectoral Sugar Summit after the holidays to concretize plans and proposals that will improve efficiency of both the farms and the mills and increase productivity in order to avoid liberalizing sugar importation.

A statement from Tatak Kalamay sent to media outfits on Nov 13, 2019 revealed their plans with Zubiri.

“I am one with you and for as long as I am here in the Senate I will always help the industry but something must be done as well and it’s time to confront and address these issues,” the statement quoted Zubiri as telling Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) board member Dino Yulo and Tatak Kalamay convenors Raymond Montinola, Gerardo Locsin, and Dave Alba.

The group visited the Senate Wednesday to thank senators for supporting a resolution opposing moves to relax sugar importation rules.

The TK statement said that Zubiri noted that producers, millers and traders have different concerns and may sometimes even differ in their positions.

“I want a holistic approach to addressing the various issues as we may not always be able to stop the call to liberalize especially if sugar prices become prohibitive and we still cannot meet the domestic demands,” the senator added.

Yulo said he welcomes the idea and will propose SRA’s participation in the summit and will go around in over 20 sugar producing provinces to ensure that everyone is well represented.

Montinola said while the task is “daunting, we agree with the senator that concrete actions must be taken and government participation and support must be strengthened if we want our industry to survive.”

He added that they will push in Congress the restitution of the SIDA fund as “the industry will all the more need that to realize these programs that will make us more efficient and globally competitive.”

Locsin told Zubiri that among Tatak Kalamay’s plans is “mobilizing successful farmers to mentor other farmers and teach them best practices that can help improve their productivity.”

“We’ve already identified planters who are willing to do this ‘Big Brother’ mentoring program and we hope to replicate this in all sugar provinces where Tatak Kalamay is present,” Locsin said.

Meanwhile, Alba said that the economic managers can be of help to the industry if they “liberalize farm inputs, particularly fertilizers and implements, because in so doing, we lower production cost and we can do more to work towards mechanization.”

TK also met with Sen. Franklin Drilon to thank him for his support to their cause.