• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The red-striped soft-scale insect (RSSI) infestation in Negros and Panay islands has further increased to 2,332.51 hectares as of July 2, data provided by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) showed.
However, majority of the affected areas recorded only slight to moderate infestation, SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said.
Azcona said there is already high awareness on RSSI among the sugarcane farmers, who have started their own intervention.
He also raised the possibility that the figure could still be higher as there are farmers who are not reporting the presence of RSSI in their farms.
RSSI may potentially reduce the sugar content of infested canes by almost 50 percent.
The presence of RSSI has been monitored in 20 local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental, one in Negros Oriental, two in Iloilo, and four in Capiz, affecting 1,326 farmers.
In a concerted effort to mitigate the spread of the RSSI in the highly affected Negros region, the SRA will conduct a specialized training for local agriculturists, representatives from affected LGUs, the Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Plant Industry, and other key stakeholders on July 14 in Bacolod City.
The training’s end-target result is to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills for early detection, prevention, and monitoring of RSSI infestation, thereby supporting efforts to control and ultimately eradicate the pest, the SRA said. | GB
