• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The spread of infestation of the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) across the country’s prime sugarcane lands has prompted urgent calls from local leaders for a synchronized, whole-of-nation response.
Data from the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) as of July 17 revealed that the RSSI outbreak has hit 30,591 hectares of sugarcane fields.
This figure represents 33.48 percent of the total 277,080 hectares planted across the Negros Island Region (NIR), Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas, directly impacting 12,327 farmers.
NIR accounts for 28,464.75 hectares of the infested farms while Western Visayas recorded 1,523 affected hectares.
Eastern Visayas logged 592.50 hectares and Central Visayas reported 10.30 hectares.
Negros Occidental Second District Rep. Alfredo Marañon III emphasized that containing the biological threat requires more than localized intervention, it demands a unified NIR and sugar industry framework.
“It started in Luzon down to Negros, and now there is infestation in Bukidnon. A whole-of-nation approach is a must,” he said.
Following a series of consultations with the local chief executives, Marañon said the province’s second district has mobilized a united front, with the mayors agreeing to synchronize spraying efforts to halt the northward and outward spread of the pest.
Marañon also welcomed the high-level coordination with Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., noting that local protocols have been successfully aligned with the unified programs of the Sugar Regulatory Administration and the DA.
While large-scale interventions roll out, Sixth District Rep. Mercedes Alvarez raised alarm over accessibility and equity for marginal farmers.
Alvarez highlighted the plight of smallholders during recent field consultations, noting that the hardest-hit areas include Kabankalan City, where roughly 1,000 farmers have felt the severe economic impact of the outbreak.
“My main concern is what solutions we can offer to small farmers and planters,” Alvarez said. “Sometimes the solutions suggested by others are very complicated and expensive, which only big planters can afford. My main goal is: how can we help the small planters?”
To address this, the University of the Philippines Los Baños-based National Crop Protection Center, whose experts recently met with local officials in Ilog, has recommended integrated pest management strategies.
These solutions combine targeted chemical applications with natural remedies such as breeding beneficial insects to naturally combat RSSI.
The DA and SRA, in partnership with provincial governments and private sector entities like URC SONEDCO, are working to make these biological and chemical controls accessible to local government units for distribution.
Furthermore, lawmakers are collaborating with the DA and the Department of Social Welfare and Development to channel direct assistance to vulnerable planters.
Alvarez appealed to the SRA and local agricultural offices to rigorously verify ground numbers.
Ensuring accurate data is vital so that government aid reaches every affected grower and no farmer is left behind, she added. | GPB
