Raw sugar output highest in 3 years

Local raw sugar production in the current crop year expanded to 1.86 million metric tons (MT), surpassing the previous crop year’s entire output, due to more sugarcane milled and better sweetener content.

- JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

Latest data from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) showed that raw sugar output in crop year 2023-2024 as of April 14 was 3.6 percent higher than the 1.8 million MT output in the previous crop year.

The latest raw sugar output figure has also exceeded the 1.85 million MT production estimate by the SRA for the current crop year. The current crop year is set to end on Aug. 31.

The SRA, at the start of the current crop year, projected that raw sugar output would hit 1.85 million MT, with an estimated drop from 10 percent to 15 percent due to the El Niño phenomenon.

Historical data showed that raw sugar output in the current crop year is already the highest in three years or since the 2.14 million MT recorded in crop year 20202021.