The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on Friday, July 4, said the spread of the destructive red striped soft scale insects (RSSI) in sugarcane fields in Negros Occidental appears to have slowed down.
“RSSI is still spreading but last week’s monitoring showed only a slight increase compared to previous weeks,” SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said.
“This may be due to high awareness of RSSI already and planters have started their own intervention,” he said.
However, SRA’s data is based on validated ocular inspections, the figure could still be higher as there are sugar farmers who are not reporting the presence of RSSI in their farms, Azcona said.
RSSI infestation, according to studies, pose a significant threat to sugarcane productivity, potentially reducing the sugar content of infested canes by up to 50 percent, he said.
An SRA Visayas report dated July 2 said RSSI has hit 2,332.51 hectares of sugarcane fields in Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Capiz and Iloilo affecting 1,326 farmers.
The bulk of the infestation is in Negros Occidental where 2,281 hectares have been affected in 20 towns and cities, followed by Iloilo with 24.75 hectares, Capiz – 22.9 hectares and Negros Oriental – 3.5 hectares, the SRA reported.
In Negros Occidental the hardest hit is Bago City with 267 hectares, followed by Cadiz City – 261 hectares, Talisay – 224 hectares, Murcia – 223 hectares, and Manapla – 220 hectares.
SRA data showed that the RSSI infestation increased from May 22 to 28 by 34 percent, June 6 – 54 percent, June 13 – 62 percent, June 18 – 11 percent, June 25 – 35 percent and dropped to 13.5 percent on July 2.
Azcona said in a concerted effort to mitigate the spread of RSSI in Negros, the SRA will conduct a specialized training for local agriculturists, representatives from affected local government units, the Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Plant Industry, and other key stakeholders in Bacolod City on Monday, July 14.
The training’s end-target result is to equip participants with the knowledge and skills for early detection, prevention, and monitoring of RSSI infestations, he said.
Bacolod City has been selected as the first location for the training due to the confirmed presence of RSSI across 20 LGUs in Negros Occidental and one in in Negros Oriental, he added.*