• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
As the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) has affected more sugar farms in Negros and Panay, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) reported on Monday, recovery in more than 17.61 hectares of canefields.
Based on the June 6 reports of SRA, a total of 841.70 hectares of sugarcane fields have been infested by RSSI.
Stressing that Negros Island produces 65 percent of the sugar in the country, SRA head Pablo Luis Azcona disclosed that they are working with the Department of Agriculture 101 percent to find a solution to the infestation.
“This solution entails the cooperation of everyone,” according to Azcona.
The DA earlier approved a P10 million budget sought by the SRA to help address the RSSI infestations.
A total of 465 farmers in 58 barangays of 21 local government units, of which 17 are in Negros Occidental, have been affected by the infestations, SRA records indicated.
Azcona called on the affected LGUs to declare a state of emergency, in order for the SRA and DA to be able to move faster in the procurement of needed pesticides and chemicals.
Data showed that of the 808.60 affected hectares planted by 461 farmers, 667 hectares have mild infestation, 99.27 hectares have moderate infestation, and 42 hectares have severe infestation.
“There are fields/areas of one farmer which experienced different degrees of infestations. Further, other areas fall under no infestation/early detection. However, no significant damage was imposed,” SRA agriculturist Mikko Libo-on said in a presentation.
About 17.61 hectares of sugarcane farms in northern Negros, planted by five farmers, are recovering.
These are located in Manapla – 8.25 hectares; Victorias City – 6.36 hectares; and Silay City – 3 hectares.
“These areas are recovering as farmers followed the recommendation to immediately apply insecticides, even on non-infested fields, and to de-trash infested leaves and burn them away,” Libo-on said.
SRA Deputy Administrator Ignacio Santillana said at the mill district level, actions taken include field monitoring, information dissemination, education and communication distribution, validation and geotagging of reported infestation, and provision of technical assistance and advisories.
They have also been coordinating with municipal and city agriculture offices, mill district development councils, planters’ associations, and sugar mills, he added.
Santillana said at the research level, the SRA is conducting validation of reported pest incidence and collecting samples for laboratory observations of both pests and natural enemies for biocontrol.* with PNA reports
