Upon the directive of Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr., Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, together with personnel from the Provincial Agriculture Office (PAGRO), met with representatives of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to discuss the impact of the Red Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI) infestation on sugarcane plantations in the province.
The meeting was prompted by the concern raised by Fourth District Board Member Rolando Distura during last week’s regular session of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. Distura reported that the RSSI infestation has already spread to sugarcane plantations in Anilao, Dingle, Passi, and parts of Northern Iloilo.
In a recent stakeholders’ forum held at Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City the SRA revealed that the infestation in Negros Occidental has already affected 14,447.83 hectares of sugarcane farmland, impacting 5,435 farmers across 365 barangays. The severity of the outbreak has significantly contributed to the decline in sugar production.
Banias urged PAGRO, with the support of SRA, to take immediate and coordinated measures to contain the infestation and prevent further damage to the province’s sugar industry.