BACOLOD CITY—The Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc. (CONFED) has appealed to the Department of Agriculture (DA) for immediate government intervention to shield the local sugar industry from what it described as the “crushing economic impact” of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. In a letter dated March 5 and addressed to Agriculture Secretary and Sugar Board Chair Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., CONFED President Aurelio Gerardo J. Valderrama Jr. said fuel and fertilizer prices are already rising due to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. “If not controlled, this will have a disastrous impact on food production […]... Keep on reading: Sugarcane planters' group seeks gov't action amid fuel price spike