The government must urgently step in to address a brewing sugar crisis, with mill gate prices sliding below production costs and squeezing farmers who are already struggling with the rising prices of farm inputs.
While Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri welcomed the Department of Agriculture’s decision to pause sugar imports for 2026, he stressed that the industry will need stronger, direct intervention to prevent more sugar farmers from bleeding.
“They need more help beyond this pause on sugar imports, whether that is through capital infusion, or through a government buying program that will ensure stable income for our sugar farmers and workers, and equitable prices for consumers. We need a strong and decisive DA and SRA to stabilize the mill gate price of sugar,” Zubiri stressed.
The veteran legislator also pushed for maximized utilization of the Sugar Development Fund under the Sugar Industry Development Act, saying it should translate to visible support that farmers can feel on the ground, especially during periods of sustained losses.
“Kapag ganitong nalulugi na ang mga magsasaka, dapat saluhin na sila ng SRA.”
“We pour a billion pesos into the Sugar Development Fund every year, so I hope that this is reaching our farmers. Kapag ganitong nalulugi na ang mga magsasaka, dapat saluhin na sila ng SRA by providing better infrastructure, credit and research and development support. If we can maximize the use of the SDF now, we can even push for its increase, para mas maraming magsasaka pa ang matulungan natin,” the seasoned lawmaker explained.
Mill gate prices have been dismal since the start of the sugar milling season last October 2025, dropping from P2,200 per 50-kilogram bag of sugar in October to P2,075 in the last week of December.
In comparison, sugar fetched somewhere between P2,400 and P2,500 per bag during the 2024 milling season.
“Grabe ang hirap na kinakaharap ng sugar farmers natin ngayon. Napakamahal na nga ng farm input, palugi pa ang bentahan ng asukal,” the senator warned.
“What used to be P2,500 per bag of raw sugar is now down to P2,000 per bag, while the costs of labor, fertilizer and pesticides have been increasing,” he added.
“Napakabigat po ng P300 o P500 na lugi ng mga sugar farmers sa kada bag ng asukal. Paano po nila mapapakain ang kanilang mga pamilya, masasahuran ang kanilang mga manggagawa, at mapaghahandaan ang susunod na crop season kung wala silang kinita ngayong taon?” he stressed.
Zubiri, who is also a registered agriculturist, noted that many sugar farmers are operating with limited capital and have little room to absorb sudden price drops, especially those who are agrarian reform beneficiaries.
“Hindi naman malaki ang kapital ng mga magsasaka ng asukal, lalo na at karamihan sa kanila ay mga agrarian reform beneficiaries. It is difficult for them to survive such a drastic fall of mill gate prices,” he said.
According to the Sugar Regulatory Administration, of the 88,000 sugar farmers in the country, 84 percent are small farmers with less than five hectares of land.
“When tens and thousands of already marginalized farmers are operating at a loss, the government has to step in.”
“We cannot leave our farmers to deal with this crisis on their own. When tens and thousands of already marginalized farmers are operating at a loss, the government has to step in,” Zubiri stressed.
“Nagpapasalamat tayo na itinigil na muna ng Department of Agriculture ang pagpasok ng imported sugar ngayong 2026, para naman magkaroon ng pagkakataon ang ating mga magsasaka na makapagbenta sa mas-makatarungang presyo,” he noted.
“Pero dahil may over-importation tayo ng asukal nitong nakaraang taon, hindi talaga agad na makaka-recover ang ating sugar farmers,” Zubiri added.
Beyond immediate price support and safety nets, he flagged smuggling and the illegal entry of sugar substitutes as another pressure point that can sabotage recovery if left unchecked.
“We have to look out for the illegal entry of sugar and sugar substitutes such as high-fructose corn syrup in the country. Alam natin na may mga pumapasok diyan na asukal through technical smuggling. Ang laking dagok po niyan sa mga sugar farmers natin. We cannot fully rectify this sugar crisis if we don’t clamp down on this smuggling,” he concluded.
