The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is seeking an emergency use authorization (EUA) from the Department of Agriculture (DA) to allow controlled use of insecticides in sugarcane fields in Negros affected by red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestations.
SRA board member David Andrew Sanson said in an interview that the pest outbreak impacted 400 to 500 hectares of sugarcane, displacing about 220 farmers.
“For now, we can only tell the farmers what insecticides are available. But we cannot recommend or endorse any of them, because they are not registered for use on sugarcane,” Sanson said.
RSSI is a sap-feeding pest that weakens cane stalks and reduces plant vigor by draining essential nutrients. The insect was first detected in Pampanga in 2022 and has since spread to parts of northern Negros Occidental.
