Close to 5,000 hectares of sugarcane farms have been ravaged by the red-striped soft-scale insect (RSSI) in the Visayas, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) reported on Thursday.
The infestation has more than doubled in six days, and has expanded to 244 villages on the islands of Negros, Panay and Leyte, covering 4,847.63 ha and affecting the livelihood of 2,587 farmers.
Substantial increase in infestation was observed in southern Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Iloilo provinces, the SRA said.
It cited the emergence of new hot spots, such as Mabinay in Negros Oriental, Himamaylan and Binalbagan in Negros Occidental, and the first recorded case in Leyte.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Tuesday ordered the mass production of a naturally occurring fungus that can suppress the pest before it inflicts more serious damage on the country’s sugar industry.
According to the SRA, one of its major innovations against RSSI is the development and mass production of entomopathogenic fungi, which are naturally occurring beneficial microorganisms capable of infecting and controlling pest populations.
SRA researchers have produced and distributed these fungi while conducting hands-on training to farmers, associations, cooperatives, sugar mill personnel, and local government technicians on their production and application.
The SRA said it is carrying out a large-scale campaign promoting the use of these biological control agents through its mill district offices and partner local governments across affected areas.
Outbreak epicenter
Negros Occidental remains the epicenter of the outbreak, accounting for about half of the total infestation area.
The SRA said Negros Oriental experienced the fastest expansion rate, largely due to the sudden surge in Mabinay, while Iloilo continues to register new infestations and expansion across towns.
The emergence of RSSI in Leyte means a potential interisland spread that requires immediate surveillance and containment.
‘The sharp rise in affected farmers and barangays suggests that the infestation is rapidly intensifying and spreading to previously unaffected localities,’ the SRA said.
Authorities have organized the RSSI Inter-Agency Task Force led by the SRA and composed of representatives from the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Bureau of Plant Industry, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, as well as provincial and municipal governments to unify efforts to stop the infestation.
To support control efforts, the SRA requested an additional P10 million in financial assistance from the DA for pesticide procurement.
The SRA also started drone-assisted spraying operations in affected sugarcane areas, such as Hacienda Agho at Barangay Camandag in La Castellana, Negros Occidental.
The initiative is expected to primarily benefit small sugarcane farmers by enabling faster, more efficient, and wider application of approved insecticides and biological control agents, particularly in areas where manual spraying may be difficult, labor-intensive, or less effective, the SRA said.