Sugarcane pest attack widens; Negros worst hit

FARM DAMAGE A farmer in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, checks on the blackened stem of a sugarcane that was sucked dry by red-striped soft-scale insects. The infestation has worsened throughout Negros Island. —SUGAR REGULATORY ADMINISTRATION PHOTO

BACOLOD CITY—The pest infestation ravaging sugarcane farms in the country had worsened, with over 130,000 hectares (ha) now affected by the sap-sucking red striped soft-scale insect (RSSI), an increase of some 40,000 ha from a month ago.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is worried that the onset of the dry spell could increase the rate of infestation across farms.

As of Sept. 1, the SRA said that a total of 134,386.10 ha had been reported to be affected by RSSI, representing some 32 percent of the country’s sugarcane plantations.

Worst hit is Negros Occidental province, the country’s sugar bowl, with 95,140.92 ha affected, accounting for 71 percent of the nationwide total. With 19,444 ha affected in Negros Oriental province, the entire Negros Island accounts for 85 percent, or 114,584.92 ha, of RSSI-infested farms.

The SRA said 16,890.74 ha of sugarcane farms in other parts of Western Visayas were also infested with RSSI.

A month ago, the Department of Agriculture had estimated that the infestation had spread to some 93,898 ha—at least 22 percent—of 421,606 ha planted to sugarcane this crop year. Of this, 92,295 ha were in the Visayas, particularly Negros Island and Western Visayas.

Only some 2,274.51 ha of sugarcane farms in Mindanao, mainly in Bukidnon province, were hit by RSSI infestation and 753.93 ha in Luzon.

Of the total affected area reported as of Aug. 14, the SRA has validated 67,443.76 ha across 1,093 barangays, affecting 39,281 farmers.

The total RSSI-infested farms on Negros Island represent some 48 percent of the region’s sugarcane fields. So far, 58,374 ha of the infested farms on Negros Island have been validated across 896 barangays, affecting 34,130 farmers.

Controlling surge

The SRA said that while RSSI remains a significant threat to the sugar industry, coordinated government interventions have controlled its spread.

First detected in Pampanga province, RSSI damages sugarcane and aids the growth of black sooty mold. If left uncontrolled, the pest could reduce sugar content in infested sugarcane by as much as 50 percent.

The stabilization observed following the initial outbreak in 2025 indicates that surveillance, monitoring and integrated pest management strategies successfully slowed the progression of the infestation across affected areas.

The sharp increase in infestation recorded in June 2026 reflects both a resurgence of the pest and the result of intensified validation efforts, the SRA noted.

Rather than indicating a failure of previous interventions, this surge underscores the dynamic nature of RSSI outbreaks and the need for sustained vigilance, it added.

The SRA said that with the dry spell and heavy traffic of planting materials, among other factors, there can be “a very high exponential increase in RSSI cases.”

In response, the SRA has intensified field monitoring, validation, technical assistance and coordinated pest management operations to contain the renewed spread, protect unaffected plantations and minimize production losses.

Overall, the data emphasizes that continuous monitoring, early detection, rapid intervention and strong inter-agency collaboration remain essential to preventing widespread infestation and safeguarding sugarcane production, especially in the Visayas, it said.

Gov’t assistance

The SRA said that it has provided P9.2 million in insecticide assistance, P8 million of which was allocated to Negros Occidental.

Many local governments in Negros had shunned proposals for aggressive aerial spraying efforts due to environmental concerns. But ground-based chemical spraying as well as application of biocontrol have been undertaken.

Areas hardest hit by RSSI in Negros Occidental are the cities of Kabankalan, Cadiz, Sagay and Talisay and the town of La Castellana.

In Negros Oriental, worst hit are the cities of Bayawan, Bais and Canlaon and the towns of Mabinay and Manjuyod.

Earlier, SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona estimated that if Negros Occidental lost 33,000 ha of sugarcane to the infestation, it could drag down national sugar output by up to 8 percent or a drop of some 150,000 metric tons of raw sugar.