According to the Department of Agriculture, the nation has enough rice and sugar to last until the next year, with the price of sugar goods at only P95 per kilo.
DA Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Kristine Evangelista said the regional producers’ milling season is why the sugar supply is currently better than it was in earlier months.
“Nakikita na natin na there were months na P120 umabot ang ating refined, ngayon nasa P95 na po,” she said. She added Local traders and the Sugar Regulatory Authority (SRA) will work together regularly.
Based on the supply situation, Evangelista predicted that sugar prices might remain stable until the next year.
“That is the objective. We are looking at the cost structure, now we see it at P95. Although meron tayong of course tinitignan na pwedeng mag P90, pero meron tayong kino-consider na factors, also taking into consideration ‘yung mga movement ng gasolina,” she said.
“At P95, maganda po ‘tong presyong ‘to and [P95 is a good price] we want to maintain this price as much as possible,” she continued.
Consumers’ worries about the availability of rice were allayed by Evangelista, who claimed that there would be enough until the first quarter of 2023.
Sugar supply in PH sufficient; price per kilo at P95 – DA
“Based sa supply data ng Department of Agriculture, at ito ay sa pakikipag-ugnayan din ng mga ibang stakeholders tulad ng SINAG, we are sufficient pagdating po sa bigas. Marami po tayong na-produce na local rice at base po doon, hanggang first quarter nga, marami po,” she said.
The election pledge of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was to lower the cost of rice to a minimum of P20 per kilo.
In November, Marcos claimed that the Philippines was on the verge of realizing its target of bringing down the cost of rice to P20 per kilo, but he also noted that there was still more work to be done.
The Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women challenged President Marcos Jr to make more sustainable and accessible P25/kilo rice sold at “Kadiwa ng Pasko” stalls.
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