Iloilo eyes zoning system to curb sugarcane pest spread

By Mariela Angella Oladive

ILOILO CITY – The Iloilo Provincial Government is considering a damage zoning system to strengthen its response to the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI), which has infested about one-third of the province’s sugarcane plantations.

The proposal was among the measures discussed during a July 28 meeting of the Provincial Community Defense Cluster with representatives from the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office VI, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), sugar millers, and sugarcane planters.

The meeting covered the latest RSSI situation, ongoing interventions, data validation, and additional control and preventive measures to limit the pest’s impact on Iloilo’s agricultural sector.

Under the proposed classification, affected farms would be graded by the extent of crop damage: slight for less than 10%, moderate for 11% to 30%, severe for 31% to 60%, and extreme for more than 60%.

Municipalities would then be classified into Yellow, Orange, and Red zones based on the share of validated areas under severe and extreme damage.

Those with less than 20% severe and extreme damage would fall under the Yellow Zone, those with 20% to 49% under the Orange Zone, and those with at least 50% under the Red Zone.

SRA data as of July 20 showed that 7,021 hectares of Iloilo’s 20,749.88 hectares planted to sugarcane had been affected.

Infestations have been recorded in 24 of the province’s 30 sugar-producing local government units.

Passi City recorded the largest affected area at 2,275 hectares, followed by San Enrique with 1,100 hectares, Anilao with 930 hectares, Banate with 490 hectares, and Barotac Nuevo with 375 hectares.

Officials said RSSI primarily infests sugarcane but can also attack corn and coconut, underscoring the need for sustained monitoring and a coordinated response.

The Provincial Agriculture Office, the SRA, and partner agencies continue to conduct field monitoring, surveillance, and regular reporting in affected municipalities.

Chemical and biological control measures are also in place, while farmers receive technical assistance and extension services on safe and effective pest management.

The province has likewise begun using drones to apply biological control agents and foliar fertilizers in affected areas to make pest management operations more efficient.

Data collection and validation continue in coordination with the SRA Extension Services Division–Visayas to ensure accurate mapping of affected areas and to track the effectiveness of response measures.

All validated data will be consolidated through the Provincial Spatial Decision Information System.

RSSI is a sap-sucking pest that feeds on sugarcane leaves, reducing the plant’s ability to photosynthesize and weakening crop growth.

Severe infestations left unmanaged can stunt cane development, cut yields, and lower sugar output, making early detection and coordinated pest management critical to one of Iloilo’s key agricultural industries.