Sugar farmers face new crisis as pest invades Negros Occidental plantations

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A swarm of red-striped soft scale insects invade sugarcane plantations in the northern part of Negros Occidental

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – A fast-spreading pest infestation is sweeping through northern Negros Occidental, placing thousands of farmers and their families at risk of losing their main source of income. The situation has raised alarm among sugar industry stakeholders and exposed the province’s vulnerability again to agricultural shocks.

At the center of the looming crisis is a swarm of red-striped soft scale insects or RSSSI (Pulvinaria tenuivalvata) which has invaded at least six areas in the northern part of the province, damaging several sugar plantations. 

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) warned that the insects can cut the province’s sugar yields by as much as 50%.

Originally discovered in Egypt in the early part of the 20th century, the insect became a major pest in the sugar industry by 1992.

The SRA has not identified the specific areas affected by the infestation in Negros Occidental as monitoring and damage assessment are still ongoing.

But their initial findings indicate the infestation may have started after a sugar planter in Negros bought patdan or cane points from Luzon several months ago.

Records from the SRA and DA show the RSSSI was first reported in Luzon in 2022, particularly in Pampanga. It later spread to Batangas and Laguna in 2023, causing yellowing and drying of sugarcane leaves, and the development of sooty mold on infested plants.

In response to the detection in Negros Occidental, the SRA formed a task force to monitor the spread and recommend quarantine measures. SRA board member David Andrew Sanson has been designated as the task force head.

“This is a big problem… really a big problem for Negros once this infestation spreads further in the island,” said DA-Negros Island Region acting head Albert Barrogo.

Barrogo said his office, SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, and other industry stakeholders will meet this Friday, May 23, to discuss urgent measures to contain the infestation.

He said he was particularly worried for the thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries who are mostly small-scale sugar planters in Negros Occidental.

As of March, there were about 140,000 of them in the province, according to Lucresia Taberna Sumayo, director of the Department of Agrarian Reform-Negros Island Region (DAR-NIR).

“If the infestation continues to persist in northern Negros Occidental, such will severely affect thousands [of] ARBs, who have no capability or capacity to fight the plague,” Barrogo said.

He said the situation could worsen if the further spreads to Negros Occidental’s corn farms and ricefields.

The National Crop Protection Center (NCPC) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños is currently assessing the extent of the infestation in the province.

However, NCPC’s Randolph Candano told the SRA that further trials in different locations are needed before the center can request emergency pesticide procurement approval from the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA).

Despite the challenges, Barrogo expressed confidence in the SRA’s ability to manage the situation.

For now, he recommended that the SRA coordinate with the DA’s Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) for the “best approach” to contain the infestation. – Rappler.com