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In a statement, the PSA said it cleared a P2.5-million study titled “Updating the Consumption Study of Sugar in the Philippines” during the first half.
STAR / File
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) will conduct a survey that seeks to have a better picture of the country’s sugar demand landscape and help officials craft data-driven policies, including importation.
In a statement, the PSA said it cleared a P2.5-million study titled “Updating the Consumption Study of Sugar in the Philippines” during the first half.
The survey will be implemented by the Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute, with the initiative being led by the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
“Overall, the findings from the survey will serve as a basis in determining the optimal volume of imported sweeteners in the market and will assist in crafting policies related to the expansion of the market of locally produced sugar,” the PSA said.
The PSA said the survey, which will cover 2,760 households and 660 establishments, would generate a profile of the total consumption of various sweeteners in the domestic market.
The survey will gather key data on volume of consumption of sweeteners of households, business establishments and industrial users, disaggregated by type of sweetener, preferences on sweeteners such as sugarcane or non-sugarcane sweeteners, imported or locally produced and price level for shifting from sugarcane to non-sugarcane sweetener and vice versa, according to the PSA.
The data collection period of the survey would start this month, with results expected to be released by May, the PSA said.
The results of the survey will help the government determine the classification of consumers in the country for each type of sweetener, households’ preference for sugar, whether locally produced or imported, and the price level that will force households to shift from one sugar type to another.
Currently, officials and industry players estimate that the country’s sugar demand, including those from households and industrial users, is about 2.2 million metric tons.
Sugar demand is one of the critical figures that the government monitors in determining whether the country needs to allow importation, ensuring that any shortfall in supply will be filled to prevent price spikes in the market.
