Bacolod: The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has initiated the procurement process for pesticides worth PHP15 million to aid farmers in the Visayas region affected by the red-striped soft-scale insect (RSSI) infestation. “We are just completing the necessary documents and the right specifications to immediately procure the pesticides,” stated SRA Board Member David Andrew Sanson, head of the RSSI Task Force.
According to Philippines News Agency, the budget comprises PHP10 million allocated by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and PHP5 million from the SRA’s disaster fund. SRA-Visayas data indicates that about 3,284.80 hectares of sugarcane farms in Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Iloilo, Capiz, and Leyte have been affected by the infestation from May 22 to August 1 this year.
Negros Occidental is the worst-hit, with 3,184.39 hectares of sugarcane fields affected, impacting 1,754 farmers across 23 local governments. In Negros Oriental, the infestation has affected 3.95 hectares; in Iloilo, 59.69 hectares; in Capiz, 24.6 hectares; and in Leyte, 12.17 hectares.
Meanwhile, around 289.32 hectares of affected areas have shown signs of recovery, predominantly in Negros Occidental. The most significant recovery was in Manapla, Negros Occidental, with 135.48 hectares, followed by Bago City with 42.51 hectares; E.B. Magalona with 38.62 hectares; Murcia with 26.76 hectares; and Victorias City with 22.25 hectares. Recovery has also been reported in Mabinay, Negros Oriental; Anilao, Iloilo; and Sigma and Panit-an, Capiz, all with 10 hectares and below.
If left unaddressed, RSSI could potentially reduce the sugar content of infested canes by nearly 50 percent. On July 24, the Negros Occidental provincial government declared a state of calamity in response to the severe RSSI outbreak.
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona praised the declaration, stating it would expedite the procurement of pesticides, serving as the first line of defense based on research from the National Crop Protection Center of the University of the Philippines.
