Bacolod City: A sugar mill in Negros Occidental has intensified efforts to combat the red striped soft scale insect (RSSI), a growing threat to sugarcane farmers in the province, reported Panay News.
Since June, the Hawaiian-Philippine Company (HPCo), led by Chairman Paul Andrew Curran, has been developing an organic solution to address different levels of infestation. The initiative gained support from Israeli agricultural experts Yael Skutelsky and Nina Lehmann, who visited Negros from August 10 to 16 to share their expertise in biological pest management and help refine the treatment protocol.
The procedure involves a cycle of assessment, spraying, and monitoring aimed at gradually reducing RSSI populations while protecting beneficial insects. Initially tested in HPCo’s own fields, the method has now been extended to nearby farms.
“The organic solution disrupts pest growth and reproduction without harming helpful insects. This lowers the RSSI population to a level that natural predators can control,” said Rodeo Suating, HPCo’s CoGen head and regulatory compliance officer, who also leads the technical team.
RSSI infestations usually start along field edges and roadsides, causing yellowing leaves, stunted cane height, and reduced growth. The insect’s life cycle begins two to three months after planting, with infestations most visible between the fourth and tenth month.
Under the new protocol, farms undergo an initial assessment followed by the first round of spraying. A second evaluation and application are then carried out to reinforce the results, ending with a final assessment to confirm that pest levels have dropped enough for natural predators—such as ladybugs, lacewings, and spiders, to thrive.
HPCo said it will provide the organic solution to affected farms, while planters’ associations will take charge of assessments, spraying, and field cleaning.
“This option is more affordable than commercial pesticides, which also destroy beneficial insects. The protocol is open to all planters in our mill district affected by RSSI,” Suating said.
Working with local government units and planters’ associations, HPCo has committed to distributing the first round of organic solutions free of cost to affected farms in its mill district, particularly in Silay City and E.B. Magalona.
