NEGROS Occidental – The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Mobile Disinfection Unit will continue to spray pesticides to contain the spread of red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI) in sugarcane fields across various cities and municipalities in the province.
DA-Negros Island Region Director Jose Albert Barrogo confirmed that the mobile sprayer was already deployed in La Carlota City on June 26 and Cadiz City on June 27. Its next stop is Sagay City on Tuesday, July 1.
Under this partnership, the DA provides the spraying vehicle while the local government units (LGUs) shoulder the cost of pesticides and fuel.
“If the DA has available pesticides, we give it to them [LGUs],” Barrogo said.
The infestation has so far affected 2,027.79 hectares of sugarcane plantations across Visayas, 1,980.44 hectares of which are in Negros Occidental. Despite this, no LGU in the province has declared a state of calamity so far, Barrogo noted.
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) reported that 18 areas in Negros Occidental are grappling with the pest infestation. These include La Castellana, La Carlota City, Pontevedra, Bago City, Pulupandan, Murcia, Bacolod City, Talisay City, Don Salvador Benedicto, EB Magalona, Silay City, Victorias City, Manapla, Cadiz City, Toboso, Calatrava, Sagay City, and Escalante City.
Other provinces affected by the RSSI outbreak are Iloilo with 24.75 hectares affected and Capiz with 19.1 hectares affected, with a smaller area of 3.5 hectares in another part of Negros Occidental outside the main hotspots.
The DA and SRA continue to monitor affected areas closely and are coordinating with LGUs to mitigate the infestation’s impact on the sugar industry. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
