Sugarcane workers, small planters, and agrarian reform beneficairies (ARBs), led by the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW)-Negros, held a picket protest outside the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) office in Bacolod City today, opposing continued sugar importation and the sharp drop in mill-gate prices that the group said is pushing workers and small planters deeper into crisis.

NFSW-Negros said mill-gate prices are expected to fall to as low as ₱2,200 per bag with the opening of the milling season, below the estimated production cost of ₱2,250 to ₱2,500 per bag. This, the group said, leaves small planters—particularly Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs)—already operating at a loss amid rising input costs such as fertilizer and fuel.

The group questioned the role of the SRA, saying the agency has failed to protect the local sugar industry despite its mandate to regulate and safeguard the sector.

NFSW-Negros noted that while mill-gate prices continue to decline, domestic retail prices of sugar remain high, which it said points to price manipulation by large traders.

NFSW-Negros also criticized the government’s decision to allow sugar imports to continue into next year.

The SRA has said it has no direct control over prices because the market is private, an admission that, according to the group, underscores the dominance of big comprador traders in the industry.

Compounding the problem, the group said, is the low purity or yield of sugarcane since October, further reducing planters’ earnings and making it harder for them to recover production costs.

NFSW-Negros warned that the crisis threatens the livelihoods of around 380,000 farm workers, about 18,000 mill workers, and a large portion of the roughly 80 percent of small planters who are ARBs.

If prices do not recover, the group said many ARBs may be forced to give up their land, which could revert to the control of large landlords or foreign interests.

The group called for an immediate halt to sugar importation and for the government to provide production subsidies to sugarcane farmers to protect local agriculture.

NFSW-Negros also urged sugar hacienda owners and large planters to grant fair wages and benefits to workers as economic conditions worsen, and called on workers, ARBs, and other democratic sectors to unite in holding the Marcos Jr. administration accountable for what it described as neglect of the local sugar industry.