Negros Occidental allocates PHP 24.96M vs sugarcane pest

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The Negros Occidental provincial government has allocated an initial PHP 24.96 million to strengthen its biosecurity response against the red-striped soft scale insect, or RSSI, as the infestation continues to threaten the province’s sugar industry.

In a recent media interview, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II said the allocation would fund the province’s response for six months to help protect this year’s sugarcane crop.

The budget includes PHP 1.5 million for the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist to support field inspection and monitoring activities, including personnel allowances, field equipment and protective gear.

The Provincial Veterinary Office was allotted PHP 7.6 million as one of the implementing offices, primarily to cover mobility allowances for field personnel and district heads conducting inspections in affected areas across the province.

Another PHP 2.6 million was set aside for biosecurity materials, while PHP 2 million will fund the production of biological control agents to help contain the spread of RSSI.

The largest allocation, PHP 11 million, will support the CO-LAB Research and Development Project, which will lead scientific research and crop rehabilitation initiatives.

The project includes whole-genome sequencing, production of Metarhizium biocontrol agents, propagation of parasitoid wasps and resistance profiling of sugarcane varieties to develop long-term, science-based pest management strategies.

RSSI is a sap-sucking pest that attaches to the underside of sugarcane leaves and weakens the crop.

The insect also produces honeydew that encourages fungal growth, blackens leaves, reduces photosynthesis and may lower sugarcane yields.

Diaz emphasized that the provincial government was supporting an industry that has long been a key economic driver and now requires government intervention to address the infestation.

“We’re starting from scratch. We’re doing it fast and studying it right,” he said.

While efforts remain focused on saving the 2026 crop, Diaz said preparations for the 2027 planting season were already underway.

These include an information campaign to guide farmers on proper soil preparation and other preventive measures to minimize the risk of future infestations and protect next year’s harvest.

The infestation has continued to spread across Negros Island, with more than 30% of the island’s estimated 250,000 hectares of sugarcane farms already affected.

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson earlier rejected a group’s suggestion to conduct aerial pesticide spraying because of the possible effects on livestock and residents living near sugarcane farms.

Lacson emphasized the province’s commitment to environmentally sustainable practices and biological control measures.

The Confederation of Sugarcane Producers’ Associations, or CONFED, also clarified its position on the proposed measures to address the RSSI infestation.

CONFED said it had consistently advocated for immediate, large-scale intervention to prevent further losses among sugar farmers.

The group said it supported industrywide drone-assisted and manual ground spraying, together with other science-based measures that could be safely and effectively deployed to protect standing crops.

CONFED cautioned against pesticide spraying using airplanes, saying the approach should be considered only after scientific, environmental and regulatory evaluations establish its safety and suitability under local conditions.

The group said the severity of the infestation could not be effectively addressed through uncoordinated efforts at the individual farm level and required coordinated, large-scale action.

CONFED recognized biological control and other sustainable approaches as part of a long-term strategy.

However, the group said farmers facing imminent crop losses needed practical and immediate solutions that required everyone’s cooperation.

“Our position has never changed. We remain committed to supporting measures that are effective, science-based, environmentally responsible, and in the best interest of our sugar farmers and the Philippine sugar industry,” it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the provincial government started training para-veterinarians through simultaneous orientation and operational guidelines sessions in San Enrique, Ilog and Hinigaran on Friday.

Diaz said the provincial government’s mobile sprayer, donated by the Department of Agriculture, was ready for deployment to apply Metarhizium on healthy sugarcane or crops with a Level 1 RSSI infestation along roadsides and in areas adjacent to infested fields.

The initial operation will cover about 100 hectares of sugarcane farms.

Spraying will extend up to 5 meters from the roadside to establish buffer zones and help protect unaffected crops from further infestation.

Diaz said the province was preparing to implement additional intervention measures against RSSI.

The Provincial Biosecurity Task Force has been activated to spearhead the province’s biosecurity initiatives.

The province also launched an online platform to receive reports of RSSI infestations through the Task Force Kontra RSSI Facebook page.

The platform will allow farmers to directly report their concerns by completing an attached form and submitting a photo of the infestation.

The reports will help the team identify the farm and its exact location, provide technical and logistical assistance, and implement biological control measures.

The first group of farmers will receive free Metarhizium applications beginning next week.