• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has sought the help of the Department of Agriculture after pest infestations hit several sugar farms in six areas in northern Negros, which is suspected to have originated from cane points purchased by sugar farmers from Luzon.
The infestation of red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) can reduce sugar content by almost 50 percent, according to SRA.
A task force headed by Board Member David Andrew Sanson was immediately created to control the infestation and seek quarantine measures from the Department of Agriculture.
Sanson appealed to farmers to “stop transporting planting materials from Luzon and other infected areas because it has been observed that transmittal of this disease came from infected cane points.”
After receiving reports from the field in north Negros, Sanson said that SRA sought the help of the National Crop Protection Center (NCPC) at the University of the Philippines Los Baños, which facilitated the research and found at least five insecticides that may be able to limit the infestation.
Randolph Candano of NCPC, however, said that protocol dictates that they will need to conduct a second trial in a different location to further test the efficacy of the insecticides before they can even seek an emergency-use permit from the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), as “these insecticides are not yet registered for sugarcane.”
Based on their study, Buprofezin, Dinotefuran, Phenthoate, Pymetrozine, and Thiamethoxam have shown potential in curbing the spread; however, “this is not conclusive until we conduct a second field trial in a different location.
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said they will propose that the second trial will be conducted in Negros, while pushing for quarantine of canes from infected areas.
In the past, Azcona recalled that the agriculture sector was able to contain the spread of cocolisap because of the effective measures set by the DA in ensuring that agricultural products would not be shipped out of Calabarzon while the infestation was active.
“We cannot afford to have an infestation, as some farmers are already starting to plant their canes for the next crop year. We made a good showing this year despite the challenges brought about by the long drought and I hope we can maintain the momentum and even exceed our targets for next year if we will all help one another in containing this infestation,” Azcona said, adding that the RSSI has been found not only to reduce yield, but will “increase production cost and can threaten the industry’s stability in general.”
Based on their assessment, Candano, in a statement issued by SRA, said that the pest can spread to contiguous farms, and treating cane points with insecticides, especially if they are just piling on the fields, as RSSI has been found to thrive under the heat, can help reduce their numbers.
He also recommended that SRA must already inform the FPA about the ongoing trials, and while it is possible for SRA itself to seek an emergency-use permit, the normal process is for the companies that produce these insecticides to start doing their own trials and seek the permit themselves from the FPA.
Meanwhile, Sanson said that the task force will set up an Operation and Monitoring Center to document and report all RSSI and related issues around the country, and to facilitate coordination and consultation among SRA delivery units and partner agencies that are involved in the management of the RSSI.
“Supporting the task force is not optional as it is essential in ensuring the future of the sugarcane industry,” he added. | GB
