ILOILO – The red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation has pushed a second local government unit in Iloilo into a state of calamity, underscoring the widening threat to the province’s sugar industry as damaged plantations have surged to more than 10,000 hectares.
San Enrique has followed neighboring Passi City in declaring a state of calamity after RSSI damaged more than 30 percent of its sugarcane area, according to Geron Magbanua, acting head of the Iloilo Provincial Agriculture Office.
The red-striped soft scale insect (Pulvinaria tenuivalvata) is an invasive, sap-sucking pest that attaches mainly to sugarcane leaves and feeds on the plant’s sap, weakening the crop. Infestation can cause yellowing and drying of leaves, while the insect produces a sticky substance called honeydew that encourages the growth of black sooty mold, interfering with photosynthesis and reducing the plant’s productivity.
The pest has emerged as a serious threat to the Philippine sugar industry. The Department of Agriculture has warned that RSSI infestation can significantly reduce the sugar content of affected cane, directly threatening farm productivity and farmers’ incomes.
“Ining pag-declare based man sa ila actual nga sitwasyon. Naglapaw na sa 30 percent sang ila sugarcane area ang apektado sang RSSI,” Magbanua told Panay News.
As of Sept. 18, the infestation had affected 1,428 hectares of eight- to nine-month-old sugarcane plantations in San Enrique involving 2,228 farmers.
The calamity declaration will allow the municipal government to tap its calamity or disaster funds to assist affected farmers and help them access financial assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Province-wide, RSSI has already damaged 10,434 hectares of sugarcane plantations, affecting 9,460 farmers. Of the total affected area, 568 hectares were classified as totally damaged while 9,865 hectares sustained partial damage.
The infestation has been recorded in 27 localities: San Enrique, Bingawan, Dingle, Banate, New Lucena, Concepcion, Lemery, Dueñas, Sara, Anilao, San Rafael, Calinog, Estancia, Batad, Pototan, Lambunao, Maasin, Cabatuan, Balasan, Passi City, Dumangas, San Dionisio, Barotac Nuevo, Carles, Badiangan, Janiuay and Barotac Viejo.
Passi City has the largest affected area at 2,286 hectares, followed by San Enrique with 1,428 hectares, Anilao with 1,393 hectares, Barotac Nuevo with 1,195 hectares, and Dueñas with 1,060 hectares.
NO PROVINCE-WIDE CALAMITY DECLARATION YET
Despite the growing damage and the calamity declarations in two LGUs, the Iloilo provincial government is not yet moving toward a province-wide state of calamity.
Magbanua said the provincial government is dealing with the infestation in “disaster mode” rather than “panic mode” and intends to first exhaust regular funds available through the Provincial Agriculture Office to assist affected farmers.
“In short ubuson anay namon ang tanan nga budget nga available nga puede namon magamit for the RSSI before kita mag-declare sang state of calamity kay may ginapreparahan man kita nga El Niño. Ang aton disaster fund indi gid amo na kadako kag kinahanglan nga planuhon ang pagamit,” Magbanua said.
The Provincial Agriculture Office is also exploring possible interventions and assistance from stakeholders, including the Department of Agriculture and Sugar Regulatory Administration.
NEXT CROPPING SEASON CRITICAL
With little that can still be done to reverse damage to plantations already heavily infested by RSSI, provincial agriculture officials are shifting their attention to the next planting season beginning in October.
The priority is preventing the pest from carrying over into the next sugarcane crop and further entrenching itself in Iloilo’s plantations.
“Kon si Provincial Agriculture so far subong wala na kami sang intervention nga puede pa mabulig pasaka or mahagan-hagan sang damage kay ara na sia mo. Ang amon preparasyon subong is ang next cropping na which is amo na pinaka-critical kay once indi naton ma-control si RSSI pakadto sa second cropping sang aton manugtubo, basi indi na naton mapunggan ang isa ka pests even though ang isa ka peste based sa aton technical aspect nga mga two to three years as long as gina-manage ta sang maayo mangin part sia sang aton ecosystem,” Magbanua said.
The Provincial Agriculture Office plans to provide affected farmers with biocontrol agents to help manage the pest.
Magbanua advised sugarcane growers to soak or dip planting materials in a solution containing Metarhizium fungus before planting the next crop. If the biological treatment is unavailable, farmers may use recommended chemical-based alternatives.
Farmers were also advised to ensure that workers hired for planting have not come directly from RSSI-infested areas and that planting materials are sourced from nurseries free of the pest.
These measures are aimed at preventing the infestation from spreading into the next cropping cycle, which agriculture officials consider crucial to containing RSSI and protecting Iloilo’s remaining sugarcane areas. /PN
