• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) projects P350 million in revenue losses in sugar production from the almost 3,000 hectares of sugar cane farms affected by the infestations of red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) in the islands of Negros and Panay, as of July 9.
The RSSI, which was first discovered in Egypt, can reduce sugar content by almost 50 percent, posing a serious threat to the sugar sector, according to the SRA.
For 3,000 hectares of sugar production, the agency expects P700 million in average revenue.
Based on the Egypt experience, there was a 50 percent loss in sugar production resulting from the RSSI infestation of 3,000 hectares of sugarcane fields, according to SRA Board Member David Sanson.
As of this time, SRA reports that only 237.66 hectares have showed signs of recovery from RSSI infestations.
SRA has requested the provincial government and affected local government units to declare a state of emergency, or urgency, for them to be able to initiate emergency purchase of pesticides to address RSSI infestations.
Governor Eugenio Lacson earlier said that the present value of the damage caused by the RSSI infestation is not enough to qualify the declaration of a state of emergency, as other local governments are also reluctant to do so.
Sanson, who met on Friday with Lacson, said they are exploring other options for the issuance of an executive order, such as looking into the financial aspect of sugar production losses due to RSSI infestation.
Lacson said he will seek an opinion of the Provincial Legal Office on how to proceed.
By declaring a state of emergency, or urgency, Sanson said it does not mean that the concerned LGU will provide funds. “We need it to hasten the immediate purchase of pesticides,” he added.
The Department of Agriculture and SRA have allocated a total of P15 million for the purchase of pesticides against RSSI.
The SRA is also looking to biological alternatives in preventing the spread of RSSI, as part of its long term interventions.
It is currently working on entomo-pathogenic fungi discovered in Capiz that could help eliminate RSSI. If successful, the fungi could be mass-produced as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution.*
