OFFICIALS from Bukidnon province filed a resolution urging the national government not to liberalize the sugar industry, noting that the province accounts for 72% of the land planted to sugar in Mindanao and 75% of the island’s output production.
The resolution, sponsored by 2nd district Provincial Board Member Nemesio B. Beltran Jr, claims 11,395 sugarcane farmers in Bukidnon and two mills — Busco Sugar Milling Co. and Crystal Milling Sugar Co. which will be disadvantaged if the government allows more liberal sugar imports on the model of rice tariffication.
“The unregulated entry of imported sugar will lead to drop in purchases of sugar produced by farms and mills in the Bukidnon sugar milling district, loss of livelihood of sugar farmers in the area most of whom are small farmers, unemployment of farm and mill workers, closure of businesses allied to sugar production and overall slowdown of economic activity in the Province of Bukidnon,” according to the resolution.
The resolution said that sugar farming and milling industries generate P90 billion annually from the sale of sugar and its by-products, in 20 provinces. — Reicelene Joy N. Ignacio
