Bacolod City: The Department of Agriculture (DA) has approved a P10-million budget requested by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to tackle the spread of red-striped soft-scale insects (RSSI), which have infested over 546 hectares of sugarcane farms in Western Visayas, with the majority of affected areas located in Negros Occidental.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. visited one of the affected farms in Negros Occidental and assured full government support to both the SRA and local farmers. “We will provide whatever additional assistance the SRA and farmers in Negros need,” he said.
To help stop the spread, the SRA has implemented quarantine protocols to control the movement of sugarcane planting materials. The agency believes the infestation may have started from cane points brought in from Luzon. Laurel stressed that such movements should require permits, but admitted that monitoring is challenging due to the country’s extensive coastlines, reported Inquirer.Net.
“We’re now working to tighten controls and crack down on unauthorized movements. Transporting planting materials without permits is not allowed,” Laurel said, noting that the DA’s enforcement and intelligence units are now investigating the possible source of the infected cane points.
According to SRA data, the RSSI, which can reduce sugar content by nearly 50 percent, has affected sugar farms in 46 barangays across 13 towns and cities in Negros Occidental, as well as one town each in Negros Oriental, Capiz, and Iloilo.
“We must contain this infestation quickly. Negros produces the bulk of our sugar with about 250,000 hectares planted to sugarcane,” Azcona said.
On June 2, the SRA requested emergency powers to regulate the movement of sugarcane planting materials and expedite the purchase of necessary pesticides. The agency has also called on other government departments to provide additional support to help manage the crisis in Negros, which supplies over 60 percent of the nation’s sugar.
