Photo courtesy of Geron Magbanua/PNA
The Iloilo provincial government gathered sugar industry stakeholders to strengthen efforts against the red-striped soft scale insect that had damaged more than 7,000 hectares of sugarcane plantations.
Provincial agriculturist officer-in-charge Geron Magbanua said the affected area accounted for more than 30 percent of the province’s total sugarcane plantations, based on data from the Sugar Regulatory Administration.
He said farmers and millers feared that continued spread of the pest could sharply reduce the volume of sugarcane available for processing.
The insect was difficult to contain because it reproduced quickly, with a single life cycle producing more than 300 eggs. Officials also warned that dry conditions could worsen the infestation amid the projected El Niño.
Sugarcane remained Iloilo’s second most valuable agricultural crop after rice in terms of production and economic contribution.
The SRA had intensified monitoring and information campaigns, while the Department of Agriculture provided chemical and biological control measures in areas outside the agency’s coverage.
Municipal governments distributed pesticides and carried out other interventions, with private sugar mills also extending chemical support to affected farmers.
Recommendations from the meeting will be submitted to Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. for possible provincewide action, including a standard pest management protocol. Among the hardest-hit areas were Batad, Carles, Banate, Dingle and Anilao.