PRESS RELEASE
September 9, 2013
Reference: Rikki Mathay

EJERCITO ASKS DA TO PREPARE SUGAR INDUSTRY FOR AFTA

Senator JV Ejercito asked Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala during the budget deliberation to establish measures that would strengthen and make ready the local sugarcane industry against possible destabilization effects of the lifting of sugar tariff by 2015.

Ejercito expressed concern on this issue since without a viable program, locally produced sugar may not be able to compete with the influx of cheaper, imported sugar products from ASEAN-member countries.

He urged Secretary Alcala to come up with modernized programs that could withstand the inevitable consequences of the sugar trade, and at the same time, promote the interests of farmers and mill workers.

For his part, Ejercito filed The Sugar Cane Industry Development Act of 2013 Bill (Senate Bill 1229) to ensure legislation and implementation of programs that could revitalize and strengthen the sugar cane industry.