Israeli experts to aid Negros vs. sugarcane pest

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – A team of agricultural experts from Israel is set to visit Negros Occidental next week to help combat the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI), a destructive pest threatening the province’s sugarcane crops.

The initiative follows a meeting between Israeli Consul Moti Cohen and Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson on Wednesday, prior to Cohen’s visit to the wake of overseas Filipino worker Leah Mosquera of San Enrique, who was killed in a recent missile attack in Israel.

During the meeting, Cohen reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to sharing agricultural technologies with the Philippines, although he noted that he is not familiar with the specific pest affecting the province’s sugarcane.

“Israel has very good agricultural technology, and we are sharing this with the Philippines,” Cohen said.

He added that the visiting specialists would assess the situation and apply Israeli techniques to help manage the infestation.

This marks another instance of Israeli support for Negros Occidental.

Cohen recalled that Israeli specialists had previously helped address water pollution issues in the province.

Lacson expressed optimism that Israeli expertise could lead to effective measures to curb the spread of RSSI.

“Most likely, the Sugar Regulatory Administration has connected with the Israeli government,” Lacson said.

“That’s good—we hope to learn, and maybe they can help us address the present infestation.”

According to data from the Sugar Regulatory Administration, the pest has already infested nearly 2,000 hectares of sugarcane across 18 towns and cities, affecting more than 1,000 farmers.

The RSSI poses a serious threat to crop yields, with potential sugar content losses of up to 50 percent.

In response, the SRA and Department of Agriculture have rolled out quarantine protocols and pesticide distribution.

The provincial government has also declared a state of calamity due to the combined effects of a recent typhoon and the ongoing infestation.