Venezuelan sugar producers demand urgent review of import licenses

Venezuelan sugar cane producers are urgently calling for a review of refined sugar import licenses, citing severe repercussions for the local agro-industry. Associations from Lara, Yaracuy, and Falcón states, integrated under the Council of Sugar Cane Producers of the Central-Western Region (Coprocazuvaya), warned that imported foreign sugar is covering more than 40% of the per capita consumption deficit. This influx, they argue, severely displaces Venezuelan harvests and creates an uneven playing field in the domestic market. The bloc, comprising numerous producer groups and communal councils, has formally alerted the ministries of Foreign Trade, Agricultural Production and Lands, and Food. This regional stance supports ongoing complaints from other industry representatives nationwide. Producers emphasize that this situation directly impacts a sector that demonstrated its productive capacity by harvesting over 4.5 million tons of cane in the last season. However, they face an adverse environment as foreign products enter the market without tariffs or fiscal duties, diminishing the placement opportunities for national industry. Consequently, sugar mills concluded the 2025-2026 harvest with an accumulated surplus of approximately 110,000 tons in inventory. This volume alone could supply the national market for two months but remains unsold due to the inability to compete with imported sugar prices. This surplus poses significant risks, including the potential bankruptcy of thousands of cane farmers and hindering access to essential financing for the upcoming harvest. It also causes operational delays that endanger the timely start of the 2026-2027 production period. The distortion further creates a detrimental multiplier effect across the entire value chain, impacting molasses production for the pharmaceutical and distilling sectors, and directly threatening over 10,000 rural jobs. Faced with this scenario, cane farmers are reiterating their appeal to the national executive for swift action, demanding a halt to imports that undermine domestic production.