Coca-Cola Urged to Prioritize Local Sugar Amid Import Plans
Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines (CCEAP) is facing pressure from sugar industry groups to prioritize locally produced sugar amid concerns that its importation of finished products could displace demand for local sugar.
The three umbrella groups representing different interests in the sugar industry - Sugar Council, National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry of the Philippines, and Democratic Association of Labor Organizations - expressed their concerns through a joint statement.
They argued that CCEAP's importation could affect thousands of livelihoods dependent on the sugar industry since the bottling firm is one of the biggest buyers of sugar in the country. The groups also pointed out that this may exacerbate the ongoing 'crisis' caused by red-striped soft scale insect infestations across various sugarcane farms.
CCEAP earlier denied that the importation had anything to do with the prevailing domestic refined sugar supply situation or its prices, stating that it was done to ensure supply reliability of its products. The company also emphasized that most stocks sold in the market are still manufactured locally using domestic sugar.