Sugar workers seek united action against RSSI

Sugar workers have appealed for an industry-wide response to the growing red stripe soft scale infestation (RSSI), warning that the pest threatens jobs, farm productivity, and the broader economy if left unchecked.

The call comes as workers in Northern Negros have reportedly begun receiving notices from employers that some sugarcane operations may cease because of severe crop losses linked to the infestation.

The Democratic Association of Labor Organization (DALO) said the continued spread and destructive effects of RSSI are placing the only source of livelihood of thousands of sugar workers at risk.

According to DALO, some of its members in Northern Negros have already sought advice after being informed by their employers that operations would stop. Employers reportedly cited the infestation’s impact on sugarcane production, saying RSSI had destroyed more than 50% of their cane crop.

The labor group said it remains skeptical of some employers’ reasons for ending operations, believing the infestation could be used as a pretext to dismiss longtime workers. However, it acknowledged that the continued spread of RSSI could eventually force legitimate farm closures if the pest is not contained.

DALO expressed its support for the calls made by sugar industry leaders and stakeholders, the provincial government, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and various planter groups to urgently contain the infestation.

The organization warned that RSSI poses a direct threat not only to sugar producers but also to sugar workers and small agrarian reform beneficiaries who depend on the industry for their livelihoods.

DALO also said thousands of sugar field workers, sugar mill employees, their families, and businesses that rely on the sugar industry are likely to bear the brunt of the crisis if the infestation is not immediately controlled.

The group urged the national government, particularly the DA and the SRA, to determine the causes of the infestation and develop a long-term solution to stop its continued spread.

It also called for science-based measures that would effectively address the pest without unnecessarily disrupting farm and milling operations.

The labor group said protecting the sugar industry is essential to preserving jobs and incomes, particularly for workers whose livelihoods depend entirely on sugarcane farming.

It added that the continued spread of RSSI could also have wider economic consequences, as the sugar industry remains one of the major revenue generators in Western Visayas and Negros Island.

“We therefore call on all sectors in the sugar industry to join hands to overcome the challenge caused by RSSI in order that the farms and sugar mill will continue operating that will ensure the livelihood of all stakeholders,” DALO President Alan S. Gozon said in a statement.

Red stripe soft scale is an insect pest that feeds on sugarcane by sucking plant sap, weakening crops and reducing yields. Agricultural authorities and industry stakeholders have been stepping up surveillance and containment efforts amid concerns that a wider outbreak could affect sugar production, employment, and the regional economy.