The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) confirmed Bukidnon sugar farmers, millers and local officials carried out a one-week intensive spraying campaign to stop the red striped soft scale insect (RSSI), a pest that cuts sugar content by nearly half. Forty workers used power sprayers for the operation, funded initially at P310,000 by industry groups. Mindanao produces about 25 percent of the country’s sugar, serving as a key growth area for the sector.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental and Oriental, which contribute over 60 percent of national output, have declared a state of calamity after RSSI damaged more than 30 percent of fields. Validated infestation covers 18,000 hectares in Negros Occidental, with reports reaching 70,000 hectares; groups are planning aerial spraying to address the crisis.
As of July 11, retail sugar prices stood at P70–P95 per kg for refined, P65–P80 for washed, and P60–P85 for brown. Raw sugar millsite prices as of June 21 reached P2,252.20 per 50-kg bag, a slight week-on-week drop.
