Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito has filed a resolution calling for an inquiry into the alleged over-importation of sugar and its impact on the local industry, as concerns mount over declining farmgate prices and losses among Filipino farmers.

Hamungaya Farms’ finished muscovado sugar.

In filing Senate Resolution No. 369, Ejercito directed the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform to conduct an investigation into the issue, noting that excessive or poorly timed importation has led to falling farmgate prices and reduced income for farmers and mill workers.

“The excessive and improper timing of importation is alarming because it is affecting our sugar farmers and workers. Therefore, this must be immediately addressed and fixed,” Ejercito said in the resolution.

According to the senator, government data show a significant increase in sugar supply with  physical sugar stocks reaching 668,405 metric tons as of March 2026, higher than the 568,871 metric tons recorded in the same period last year.

Refined sugar supply also rose sharply to 506,804 metric tons, a 38.77 percent increase from the previous year, raising concerns of oversupply in the domestic market.

The resolution also noted that for Crop Year 2025–2026, estimated foregone revenue from sugar and molasses has already reached P12.8-billion after 25 weeks.

The senator said it is imperative to revisit existing policies governing sugar importation, particularly on timing and volume, to ensure they respond to current challenges and support long-term sustainability of the industry.

“It is necessary to protect and promote the welfare of local sugar farmers, who are among the most vulnerable sectors in the agricultural industry, by safeguarding them from the adverse effects of market volatility, declining farmgate prices, and unregulated or excessive sugar importation,” Ejercito said.