27 TOWNS, 9,432 FARMERS HIT: Sugarcane pest damage in Iloilo nears 10,000 hectares

By Mariela Angella Oladive

ILOILO CITY — The red-striped soft scale insect has affected 9,908.57 hectares of sugarcane in Iloilo, along with 9,432 farmers in 27 local government units, as of Sept. 3.

Acting Provincial Agriculturist Geron E. Magbanua said Sept. 7 that the latest provincial assessment showed an increase from the previous count of 24 affected local government units.

Of the affected area, 556.82 hectares were totally damaged, while 9,351.75 hectares were partially damaged, based on the province’s Damage Assessment Reporting System.

The assessment covered 13,409.27 hectares of standing sugarcane, including 2,167.86 hectares of newly planted cane and 11,241.41 hectares of ratoon crops.

Passi City remained the worst-hit area, with 2,286 hectares of affected sugarcane in the latest provincial assessment.

The city had earlier reported 3,337.85 hectares of affected sugarcane as of Aug. 15, based on its own assessment, prompting it to declare a state of calamity.

It was followed by San Enrique with 1,428.38 hectares, Anilao with 1,414.49 hectares, and Dueñas with 1,040.33 hectares.

Magbanua said the three municipalities could potentially declare a state of calamity, depending on the basis for such a declaration, including the resulting income losses among sugarcane farmers.

Under Republic Act 10121, a local state of calamity allows a local government to tap the quick response portion of its disaster risk reduction fund and triggers price controls on basic commodities in the affected area.

He stressed that any declaration at the municipal or city level would specifically cover only the impact of the infestation on sugarcane areas.

“If at least three LGUs are placed under a state of calamity, the provincial government may also consider declaring a province-wide state of calamity,” Magbanua said, noting that the declaration would still depend on the required process and considerations.

He added that the province would first exhaust measures to address the infestation.

The Provincial Agriculture Office continues to implement containment measures, including monitoring in coordination with local governments and the use of biological control agents.

Biological control uses living organisms or naturally occurring biological agents to reduce pest populations.

One of the agents being distributed in affected sugarcane areas is Metarhizium, a naturally occurring fungus that infects insects by producing spores that attach to the insect’s body, germinate, penetrate its outer covering, and eventually cause infection and death.

The province is also testing natural enemies of agricultural pests, including earwigs and Trichogramma, a group of tiny parasitic wasps that attack the eggs of insect pests.

“We cultivate here in the province, but they are limited. We have earwig and Trichogramma, but they are still on trial,” Magbanua said.

For now, Metarhizium remains the most commonly distributed biological control agent because of its effectiveness against target insect pests.

Magbanua acknowledged, however, that supply remains insufficient for the scale of the infestation.

Conventional multiplication of the fungus can take about 60 days before sufficient material is ready for field release, while current capacity allows roughly 500 hectares to be covered per release.

Magbanua said the Department of Agriculture and its attached Sugar Regulatory Administration are working on ways to accelerate the production and multiplication of the biological control agent.

The province is also considering establishing an additional laboratory to increase its capacity to produce biological control agents.

Chemical control is not generally recommended and is being considered only in severely affected areas, particularly where damage is already extensive.

Magbanua said the timing of the infestation presents another challenge because much of the affected sugarcane is already approaching harvest.

Most of the assessed crops are now 8 to 9 months old, while the first reports of infestation came when the sugarcane was around 5 to 6 months old.

As a result, the province is shifting its focus toward preparing for the next cropping season while continuing efforts to reduce losses in existing plantations.

The red-striped soft scale insect is a sap-sucking pest that attacks sugarcane and can reduce plant productivity.

Its honeydew excretion promotes fungal growth on leaves, which can impair photosynthesis and affect crop development.

First detected in the Philippines in 2022, the pest has spread to sugarcane-producing areas, with the SRA warning that heavy infestations can reduce sugar content by nearly half.

Iloilo is part of the Panay-Negros sugar belt, which accounts for the bulk of national raw sugar output.