Bacolod City – The Sugar Regulatory Administration urged local government units affected by the infestation of Red Striped Soft Scale Insects (RSSI) to declare a state of calamity, Engr. Jose Albert Barrogo, regional director of the Department of Agriculture- Negros Island Region, disclosed recently.
The declaration of state of calamity is a requirement, or will serve as a basis of the SRA for the emergency procurement of pesticides, Barrogo added.
The SRA has sought a P10 million budget from the DA to address the RSSI infestation which, as of June 2, has already affected 424.82 hectares of sugarcane fields in 16 towns and cities of Negros Island Region, and two LGUs in Panay Island.
They (SRA) cannot move unless there is a declaration of state of calamity from LGUs, Barrogo said.
On June 3, personnel of the DA – Bureau of Plant Industry (DA-BPI) National Plant Quarantine Services Division started conducting field validation in the northern Negros, the area reported by SRA to have the most RSSI infestations.
In an interview, BPI Manager Jenauh Job Jamili said that they visited the town of Murcia on June 4, where 18 of its barangays were hit by RSSI infestation.
Jamili said they also observed that sugar farms in Victorias City were also severely hit by the pests.
BPI has strictly prohibited the movement of sugarcane planting materials in and outside of Negros, in order to contain the spread of infestation.
The RSSI damages sugarcane by sucking leaf sap, causing the foliage to die. Its excrement also encourages fungal growth that can kill the plant.
Despite the concerning situation, SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, in an interview, assured the public that the outbreak is still under control.
To contain the pest, SRA said it has distributed pesticides, and dispatched technical teams to train farmers. (Gilbert Bayoran via tvds)