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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider The Economy devider Local sugar output exceeds 2 million MT, beats forecasts amid recovery

Local sugar output exceeds 2 million MT, beats forecasts amid recovery

Published Jun 18, 2025 03:20 pm
The country’s sugar production in the current crop year has surpassed two million metric tons (MT), overcoming previous projections as the industry continues to recover from the impact of the El Niño phenomenon last year.
As of June 8, sugar output had already reached 2.015 million MT, with milling operations still scheduled to continue.
In the Philippines, the crop year for the commodity traditionally begins on Sept. 1 and ends on Aug. 31 of the following year. 
However, the government has since moved the end of the cropping season to Oct. 1, which is better suited to climatic conditions and cane maturity.
The current output marks the first time the sugar industry exceeded the two million mark since the 2020-2021 crop year.
It is also a substantial increase of 300,000 MT from the government’s projection of 1.84 million MT, which was earlier revised from an initial forecast of 1.78 million MT.
It has likewise bested the 1.85 million MT projection of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The estimate for this year was set at a more conservative level compared to the 2024 output of 1.92 million MT due to the lingering effects of last year’s El Niño.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said he is optimistic that if the sugar industry sustains the strong trajectory this cropping year, the Philippines could attain “self-sufficiency in a few years.”
Laurel said there is a potential that the commodity’s output would reach 2.3 million MT on the condition that there are “the right conditions and sustained support for the industry.”
“We’re working closely with farmers, millers, and other stakeholders to ensure that this upward trend continues,” he added.
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said his agency has steadily heightened its interventions on sugar canes to boost sugar production.
“We will continue to push for more improvement with soil improvement, cane varieties, and irrigation and mechanization,” he said.
With the rise in sugar production, Azcona said the domestic supply will be sufficient to meet the demand, further ensuring stable retail prices of the commodity.
Meanwhile, sugarcane prices that continue to be stable are seen to help in lowering retail prices, alongside helping farmers raise their earnings.
Based on SRA data, the farm gate price is averaging around ₱2,700 per 50-kilogram (LKg) bag this year.

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Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Department of Agriculture
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