By CESAR JOLITO III
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) hailed the declaration of a state of calamity in Negros Occidental as a critical step in triggering emergency measures to combat the widespread infestation of the red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI) in sugarcane fields.
SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona expressed gratitude to the provincial government, swiftly acknowledging the urgent situation confronting thousands of sugar farmers across the province.
“We thank the provincial leadership for taking cognizance of the problem the sugar industry is facing, not just with the catastrophic effects of Typhoon ‘Crising,’ but also the massive RSSI infestation,” Azcona said.
The calamity declaration enables the SRA to fast-track the procurement of pesticides based on studies from the National Crop Protection Center of the University of the Philippines.
“We can now proceed with the use of the P10 million assistance from the Department of Agriculture, so our small farmers can begin rehabilitation and protect their remaining crops,” Azcona said.
He ordered a reassessment of affected sugarcane fields to determine whether “Crising’s” aftermath reduced the RSSI population and confirmed that field-testing for organic solutions — including the use of beneficial fungus — will move forward.
Meanwhile, Board Member David Andrew Sanson, head of the SRA’s Task Force on RSSI and the agency’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee, said the declaration is timely and essential.
“This resolution will be very helpful to our farmers already suffering from the impact of Typhoon ‘Crising,’” Sanson said.
“We had already earmarked P5 million for the RSSI response, but procurement problems and a failed bidding set us back. This declaration now unlocks immediate purchasing and mass production of proven biological controls,” he added.
Sanson said the declaration is “key to helping our sugar industry recover.”
Negros Occidental, one of the country’s top sugar producers, is now under pressure to contain the pest outbreak and rebuild after “Crising’s” destructive impact on agriculture and infrastructure./CJ, WDJ