By CESAR JOLITO III
A team of agricultural experts from Israel is set to arrive in Negros Occidental next week to help combat the growing infestation of the red-striped soft scale insects (RSSI), which have been affecting sugarcane farms across the province.
The announcement was made by Israeli Consul Moti Cohen during his courtesy visit to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Wednesday, July 30.
According to Consul Cohen, Israel is extending its expertise in agricultural technology to assist the Philippines in addressing the pest problem.
“Israel is sharing this technology with the Philippines. The agricultural experts will work on a solution,” Cohen said.
Meanwhile, Lacson welcomed the initiative, expressing optimism that Israel’s intervention could provide much-needed support in mitigating the RSSI infestation, which has become a major threat to the province’s sugar industry.
“This is a good development. Most likely, the Sugar Regulatory Administration [SRA] is coordinating with the Israeli government. We hope to learn from them and find an effective way to address this ongoing problem,” Lacson said.
RSSI has been affecting thousands of hectares of sugarcane in Negros Occidental, prompting local authorities and agricultural agencies to seek external help in finding long-term solutions.
Negros Occidental is one of the country’s leading sugar-producing provinces, making pest infestations a critical threat to the livelihoods of thousands of farmers and workers dependent on the industry.
According to SRA, RSSI has already infested nearly 3,000 hectares of sugarcane plantations in the province, impacting 1,574 farmers in 113 barangays across 21 towns and cities.
However, the agency believes the actual damage could be more widespread than current validated reports indicate.
Based on studies, RSSI can reduce the sugar content of affected crops by as much as 50 percent, resulting in significant production and income losses.
RSSI was first detected in northern Negros Occidental at the end of March and was officially declared an infestation on May 22.
On July 25, the province was placed under a state of calamity due to RSSI, a critical step in triggering emergency measures to combat the widespread infestation in sugarcane fields.
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,” SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said.
Meanwhile, SRA Board Member David Andrew Sanson, head of the Task Force on RSSI, said the calamity state declaration is timely and essential.
“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 said.
Sanson said the declaration is “key to helping our sugar industry recover.”/CJ, WDJ