SUGARCANE SECTOR REELS FROM CONTINUED PEST ATTACK

Up to 1,788.9 hectares of sugarcane plantations in four Visayas provinces have been affected by an infestation of red-striped soft-scale insects, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), with Negros Occidental recording the most damage at 1,645 hectares, followed by Negros Oriental (75.80), Iloilo (45.80), and Capiz (22) as of May 29.

The SRA warned that the pest can cut sugar content in sugarcane by as much as 50 percent, posing a serious threat to production.

The Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations has urged the Department of Agriculture and the SRA to strengthen efforts to stop the infestation from spreading, especially after around 3,700 hectares were also affected last year.

In response, the SRA is producing entomopathogenic fungi as an organic control measure and conducting ongoing training on their reproduction and application to help contain the outbreak.

Source: PhilNews24 | June 7, 2026