House Probe Tackles Sugar Price Plunge in Negros

February 25, 2026

With millgate prices of locally produced sugar falling below production cost, lawmakers opened a congressional inquiry into the crisis gripping Negros Occidental’s sugar industry, following the sponsorship of House Resolution No. 373 by Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez, February 25. During the hearing of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, Rep. Benitez laid down the basis for the inquiry in aid of legislation, citing the sharp drop in millgate prices to an average of Php 2,200 per 50-kilogram bag at the start of the 2024-2025 milling season, about Php 300 below the standard production cost of Php 2,500. “For our farmers, this means that every bag of sugar they produce is sold at a loss,” he said. Negros Occidental produces around 1.8 million metric tons of sugarcane annually, accounting for more than half of the country’s total output. Rep. Benitez noted that over 60 percent of households in rural sugar districts depend on sugarcane as a primary or supplementary source of income. The lawmaker attributed the price collapse to multiple factors, including the entry of 424,000 metric tons of refined sugar authorized under Sugar Order No. 8 and carryover stocks from previous crop years, which he said flooded the domestic market and depressed prices. He also cited weakening demand due to artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes, rising input costs such as fertilizers, fuel and labor, climate disruptions from El Niño, pest infestations in Negros Occidental, structural inefficiencies in milling and transport, and the continued presence of smuggled or unauthorized sugar. Rep. Benitez anchored the inquiry on existing laws, including Executive Order No. 18 creating the Sugar Regulatory Administration, which mandates the agency to maintain balanced production and stabilize prices at levels reasonably profitable to producers and fair to consumers. He also cited Republic Act No. 7581, or the Price Act, and Republic Act No. 10659, or the Sugarcane Industry Development Act of 2015, which provides for a Php 2-billion annual allocation to boost industry competitiveness and improve farmers’ incomes. The inquiry aims to determine the specific causes of the sudden price decline, examine the role of import timing and volume, assess regulators’ compliance with their mandates, and identify legislative measures to protect small farmers and sugar workers from price volatility. Rep. Benitez said prior consultations were held in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, before the matter was elevated to the House committee level, bringing together government officials, industry leaders, producers and workers to discuss pricing trends and regulatory concerns. He stressed that the issue goes beyond market fluctuations, describing it as a matter of survival for sugar-dependent communities in Negros Occidental. *

You Might Also Like

Rep. Javi Benitez to Host Public Consultation as Sugar Prices Plunge in Negros Occidental

Rep. Javi Benitez Pushes Global-Backed Film Reform as House Panel Advances Landmark Creative Industries Bill

Rep. Javi Benitez Files RESCUE Act to Broaden Economic Crisis Response Beyond Bayanihan Framework