ILOILO City – Without swift containment and stronger cooperation from local governments, the infestation affecting sugarcane plantations in Panay Island could severely impact Western Visayas’ sugarcane output and the livelihoods of hundreds of smallholder farmers.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has sounded the alarm over the spread of a newly detected pest, with confirmed infestations in Sigma, Capiz, and Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo.
The Red-Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSSI), or Pulvinaria tenuivalvata, was verified through field validation conducted by the DA’s Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC) and the Bureau of Plant Industry – Plant Quarantine Service (BPI-PQS).
“Kinumpirma ng resulta na may pamiminsala na ng RSSSI sa ilang bahagi ng Sigma, Capiz, at Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo,” the DA Region 6 stated in its official advisory.
First documented in the Philippines in Pampanga in June 2022, RSSSI has since spread rapidly to provinces such as Laguna, Batangas, and Tarlac. It now poses a growing threat to key sugar-producing areas in the Visayas.
The pest is easily identified by its red stripes and soft, leech-like body. It clings to the underside of sugarcane leaves and secretes a sticky substance known as “honeydew,” which promotes the growth of sooty mold fungi. This mold darkens the leaves, hinders photosynthesis, and ultimately reduces sugar yields.
In response, the DA-RCPC issued pest advisories to all provinces in Western Visayas, urging Municipal Agriculture Offices and partner agencies to intensify field surveillance and report any signs of RSSSI immediately.
“We are calling on local agriculture offices to report any sightings of the Red-Striped Soft Scale Insect in their areas,” the RCPC stated.
As an initial countermeasure, the RCPC is offering technical assistance to local government units and affected farmers, including the use of entomopathogenic fungi — a natural pest-killing fungus.
Negros Occidental was the first province in the Visayas to report a significant RSSSI outbreak. To curb its spread, the DA deployed a Mobile Disinfection Unit to spray pesticides on infested sugarcane fields in Bacolod City last June 5.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who was in the province for the launch of the P20-per-kilogram rice project, visited one of the affected plantations to observe the disinfection unit in action.
As of June 2, the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) reported that RSSSI had affected 546.10 hectares of sugarcane farms across 16 cities and municipalities in Negros and Panay Islands, impacting 294 farmers.
The DA and BPI are currently validating the reported areas before conducting full-scale pesticide application. Secretary Laurel has approved the SRA’s request for P10 million in funding to procure pesticides and provide technical support to sugarcane planters./PN
