Photo courtesy of SRA
All sugarcane plantations in Negros Oriental will undergo chemical spraying as the provincial government moves to contain the spread of the red-striped soft scale insect.
Provincial Agriculture Office chief Emmanuel Caduyac said the operation would cover both infested and unaffected farms to prevent the sap-sucking pest from reproducing in untreated areas.
The agriculture office will coordinate with local governments, barangays and farmers because the province does not have enough personnel to carry out the spraying on its own.
Sugar Regulatory Administration data showed that 17,125 hectares of the province’s 48,901.43 hectares of sugarcane farms had been affected by the infestation.
Of the affected area, about 1,900 hectares had already been validated, while the SRA continued assessing the extent of the damage.
The provincial board approved the declaration of a state of calamity after the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council recommended emergency action against the continuing spread of the pest.
The declaration will allow the province to immediately purchase chemicals and equipment, including backpack sprayers, and release an initial Php 15 million from the quick response fund for the campaign.
Officials are also considering longer-term measures, including a proposed Php 1.4 million biological control laboratory, while aerial spraying is seen as impractical because many plantations are located in mountainous areas.