Sugarcane pest reaches Sultan Kudarat
KORONADAL CITY—The red-striped soft-scale insect (RSSI), a destructive sugarcane pest first detected in Bukidnon, has spread to Sultan Kudarat, raising concerns over its potential impact on the region’s sugar industry, agriculture officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Authorities said the pest, scientifically known as Pulvinaria tenuivalvata, was detected in a sugarcane plantation in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat, where about 65 hectares of a 107-hectare farm have been infested.
The infestation was confirmed after a joint field inspection in Sitio Lumaga, Barangay Poblacion, conducted by the Sultan Kudarat Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (Opag), the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), the Department of Agriculture-Regional Crop Protection Center 12 (DA-RCPC 12), and other agricultural agencies.
Engineer Mariah Ventura of the Opag said field assessments showed that roughly 60 percent of the plantation had been affected by the pest.
In a statement, the DA-RCPC 12 said validation and monitoring activities were carried out on July 24 to determine the extent of the infestation and gather data needed to formulate science-based pest management strategies.
Containment
Ventura said the provincial agriculture office has intensified field surveillance, validation, and coordination with partner agencies to help local authorities and farmers contain the infestation and prevent it from spreading to other sugarcane plantations in Sultan Kudarat.
The SRA noted that early detection and continuous monitoring are critical to preventing the pest from spreading to other sugar-producing areas. If left unchecked, RSSI infestations could reduce sugarcane yields and sugar production by as much as 50 percent.
The pest was first detected in Mindanao in June in the municipality of Kitaotao, Bukidnon.
Manuel Antonio Zubiri, president of the Mindanao Federation of Sugarcane Farmers, earlier warned that the infestation could spread to more sugarcane plantations in Bukidnon and neighboring provinces across Mindanao.
He said the continued spread of RSSI poses a serious threat to the sugar industry and the livelihoods of thousands of farmers who depend on sugarcane production.
Before reaching Mindanao, RSSI had already affected Negros Island, one of the country’s major sugar-producing regions. As of June 21, agriculture authorities reported that at least 76,607 hectares of sugarcane plantations there had been infested.
RSSI feeds by sucking sap from sugarcane plants, weakening their growth and reducing sugar yield. It also secretes a sticky substance known as honeydew, which promotes the growth of black sooty mold on leaves. The mold blocks sunlight needed for photosynthesis, further stunting plant growth and reducing crop productivity.
