Enrique Rojas, president of the National Federation of Sugarcane Planters, yesterday echoed the call of United Sugar Producers Federation of the Philippines president Manuel Lamata for the immediate passage of the Sugarcane Act principally authored by Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District).

“We need to pass this legislation now. Time is not on our side. In ten months, tariff on imported sugar will be lowered to 5 percent. We need to put in place the programs which can ensure the sustainability of the sugarcane industry beyond 2015,” Rojas said.

Ninety percent of the approximately 62,000 sugarcane farmers in the country are cultivating 10 hectares and below, Rojas pointed out.

Some farmers who cultivate large farms can survive trade liberalization because they can lower their production cost with their economies of scale. However, the more than 55,000 small farmers who depend solely on sugar for the sustenance of their families will not survive the entry of cheaper imported sugar, he added.

The immediate passage of the Sugarcane Act will ensure that programs for farm productivity, mill efficiency and product diversification into ethanol, power and bio-plastics will be speedily implemented, Rojas said.

Aside from benefitting the more than 55,000 small farmers and their families, the passage of the Sugarcane Act will safeguard the livelihood of the more than 600,000 workers directly employed and the more than one million people indirectly employed in the sugar industry, Rojas added.

Based on figures from the Sugar Regulatory Administration, the sugar industry contributes P76 billion annually to the Philippine economy. SRA statistics also disclosed that one hectare of sugarcane farm produces an average of only 58 tons cane with a sugar recovery of 1.99 bags per ton cane while mill efficiency is at only 70 percent.

“We need funds and programs to improve our farm productivity and mill efficiency, as well as to boost our product diversification efforts. The passage of the Sugarcane Act will pave the way for the funding and implementation of these programs,” Rojas said.

Rojas called on political leaders, particularly the about 40 congressmen in all sugar-producing provinces, to rally behind the Sugarcane Act and urge President Aquino to certify the bill as urgent so that it can be immediately passed into law.

“There are several counterpart bills in the Senate. Numerous senators have already pledged their support for the bill so we are confident that we can muster enough support in the Senate. I call on other sugar industry leaders to work with their respective representatives and urge them to spearhead the passage of the Sugarcane Act in the House of Representatives,” Rojas stressed.*

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