The invasive red-striped soft-scale insect (RSSI) has damaged over 79 hectares of farmlands planted with sugarcane in Mabinay, Negros Oriental, an official said yesterday.

In an interview, Provincial Agriculture Office (PAO) chief Emmanuel Caduyac said so far, only three barangays in Mabinay have been affected by the RSSI: Pantao, Pandanon, and Campanon-an. In these villages, 45 small sugarcane farmers are facing challenges due to infestations ranging from mild to severe.

Caduyac said they are collaborating with the province’s sugarcane industry to stop the infestation from spreading to other areas.

“We met last week with the sugarcane planters’ associations to discuss control strategies to prevent further spread of the pest,” he added.

He disclosed that a sugar mill in Bais City will accelerate its operations, starting milling in October instead of November, to assist farmers with their mature crop harvests and mitigate additional harm from the infestation.

According to Caduyac, the RSSI was first detected in Mabinay a few months ago, believed to have been introduced to the province from neighboring Negros Occidental towns, where the pest has already destroyed thousands of hectares of sugarcane farms.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration is assisting Negros Oriental with containment efforts, including supplying chemicals for spraying.

Caduyac explained that a serious infestation will destroy sugarcane farms, while mild to moderate infestations offer improved survival chances, provided the crops are at least nine months old. (PNA)