• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A total of 1,788.9 hectares of sugarcane plantations, impacting 869 farmers across four provinces in the Visayas, have been affected by pest infestations, according to data released by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) as of May 29.
The SRA reported that the bulk of the damage was recorded in Negros Occidental, where 1,645 ha of sugarcane fields were infested by the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI). Other affected areas included 75.80 ha in Negros Oriental, 45.80 ha in Iloilo, and 22 ha in Capiz.
According to the SRA, RSSI infestations can significantly affect sugar production, reducing the sugar content of sugarcane by as much as 50 percent.
The Confederation of Sugar Producers Association has urged the Department of Agriculture and the SRA to immediately implement large-scale measures to address the resurgence of the pest in sugarcane farms.
The SRA reported that approximately 3,700 hectares of sugarcane plantations were affected by RSSI last year, with most of the infestations also concentrated in Negros Occidental.
To combat the spread of the pest, the SRA has been engaged in the mass production of entomopathogenic fungi, an organic biological control agent, since last year.
SRA Board Member Dave Sanson said the agency continues to conduct training programs on the reproduction and application of the fungi as part of its ongoing efforts to contain and reduce RSSI infestations in affected sugarcane-growing areas.*
