Warning that a massive insect infestation could “kill” the sugar industry on Negros Island responsible for over 60 percent of the country’s production, the United Sugar Producers Federation (UNIFED) mobilized more than 200 farmers Monday, June 29, for an emergency management forum.
The Red Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) Infestation Management and Stakeholders Forum, organized in collaboration with the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), was held at Nature’s Village Resort to address what leaders call a mounting regional crisis, a UNIFED press release said.
UNIFED President Manuel Lamata emphasized the gravity of the situation, calling the RSSI infestation a “very serious, island-wide problem.”
He urged large-scale farmer-members to look out for their neighbors to prevent the pest from spreading further.
“The only way to stop this infestation is if we help each other,” Lamata said. “Help out small planters in the neighboring farms. Let us not wait for other agencies to act. We need to do this now if we want to survive this crisis.”
Lamata expressed confidence in the resilience of local farmers, adding that UNIFED is currently distributing tested protocols to its members.
However, he issued a stern warning to chemical pesticide manufacturers not to capitalize on the farmers’ desperation, especially as current protocols warrant pesticide use while biological interventions—such as insect-killing fungi—are being developed.
He also added that they will only recognize the existing RSSI Inter Agency Task Force created by Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson as chair with SRA as the Action Officer and not any other task force being suggested by other groups.
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona echoed the need for a collaborative approach, noting that research will be a crucial component of the fight.
Azcona also thanked the Universal Robina Corporation (URC) for committing its sugar mills in La Carlota and Kabankalan to assist farmers within their districts.
Local officials, including Kabankalan City Mayor Benjie Miranda and Abang Lingkod Rep. Manuel Frederick Ko, also pledged their support.
“This is one problem that needs the help from all sectors—government, farmers, millers, and the private sector,” Lamata noted.
For some planters, the emergency measures come after sustaining severe financial damage.
Local farmers Tonette Ramos and Dino Gutierrez admitted that losing roughly 40 percent of their production to RSSI in north Negros last year forced them to invest heavily in mitigation protocols this season.
“We saw a drop of about 30 to 40 percent in tonnage last year,” Ramos said, noting that they have turned to advanced technology to protect their remaining crops.
“We learned a bitter lesson, so this year we invested heavily on chemicals and drones.”
Ramos added that keeping neighboring farms safe is the only real defense. “We even include their areas when we deploy the drone because we know it will be a futile exercise to flood your farm with pesticides when your neighbors are not doing anything.”
Gutierrez explained that finding the right strategy has required trial and error, adapting international best practices to local fields.
“The same goes for drone use,” Gutierrez said. “It needs a bit of science to see how low and slow it flies to ensure the field is saturated.”
While early detection has kept their current sugarcane looking healthier, the financial toll is steep. Ramos revealed that they have already sprayed their fields four times this season, costing an average of ₱1,500 per hectare in pesticide and labor costs.*
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