• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Negros Occidental provincial government is considering the declaration of a state of emergency should the infestation of the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) continue to worsen, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, June 16.
According to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), the RSSI infestation has already expanded to 2,249 hectares of sugarcane plantations across Negros and Panay.
As of June 5, the pest infestation has affected 1,108 farmers in 195 barangays within 41 local government units in Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Iloilo, and Capiz.
Negros Occidental remains the hardest-hit province, accounting for 2,049 hectares, or about 91 percent of the total infested area in the two regions.
Before making any declaration, Lacson said the provincial government needs more data regarding the extent of the damage and the percentage of affected areas.
“Indeed, it is very unfortunate that this is happening during the planting season,” the governor said.
Representatives of various sugar federations are scheduled to meet with Lacson to discuss measures aimed at addressing the growing threat posed by RSSI.
The SRA warned that RSSI poses a serious threat to the sugar industry as severe infestations can reduce sugar production by lowering the sugar content of sugarcane by as much as 50 percent.
Lacson said that should a state of emergency be declared, affected local government units may be allowed to utilize a portion of their calamity funds to implement interventions against the pest infestation.
The governor also lamented that the milling season ended with sugar prices remaining low, adding further challenges to the sugar industry.
An SRA report showed that Bago City recorded the largest area affected by RSSI, with 406.02 hectares of sugarcane plantations infested.
Smaller but expanding infestations have likewise been reported in Negros Oriental, Iloilo, and Capiz, it added.
SRA has started to use aerial spraying technology to reduce pest populations, minimize crop damage, and improve sugarcane productivity while limiting harm to existing crops.
To complement its spraying operations, the agency has intensified the mass production of entomopathogenic fungi, an organic biological control agent used to suppress RSSI population. | GPB
