The Department of Agriculture and the Sugar Regulatory Administration are ramping up efforts to contain an outbreak of the red-striped soft scale insect that endangers sugarcane crops, especially across Negros Island and Western Visayas. The invasive pest feeds on plant sap and triggers black sooty mold growth that blocks sunlight and disrupts photosynthesis, cutting cane yields and sugar content by as much as 50 percent.
Authorities have initially set aside P35 million for chemical supplies and drone operations covering 25,000 hectares, with plans to expand this to 40,000 to 45,000 hectares or more if infestations worsen. Universal Leaf Philippines has provided drones for aerial spraying, while the Philippine Air Force will deploy a C-130 to transport supplies. Drones will cover around 300 hectares daily in Negros to ensure effectiveness, supported by spray cannon trucks and ground crews. Chemical treatment is the fastest short-term solution, though SRA has already identified effective biological control agents using beneficial fungi; production capacity is currently limited to just four hectares per day, so agencies will work with research institutions to scale this up alongside immediate spraying.
More than 12,300 verified affected farmers will receive P10,000 in cash aid each from the DA and Department of Social Welfare and Development, with officials seeking extra funding to extend support to up to 20,000 beneficiaries. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stressed that protecting the industry means safeguarding the livelihoods of thousands of farmers and workers, vowing swift and coordinated action with local governments.
Of the 421,606 hectares planted to sugarcane this crop year, 93,898 hectares are already affected, nearly all in the Visayas region. To address future threats, the DA and SRA are preparing agreements that will let local governments and eligible cooperatives access funds directly to buy supplies without lengthy bidding processes. SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona noted that the agency will share geotagged infestation data, technical guidance and area assessments to guide response efforts, and will help towns, schools, mills and cooperatives set up local laboratories to produce biological control agents by providing designs, training and starter cultures.
Surveillance has also been strengthened through an inter-agency task force and a mobile app for real-time reporting, with a Japanese technology firm set to start early detection work in Negros this August. The company previously developed similar systems for coconut scale insects and banana wilt in Mindanao. Latest market checks show refined sugar sold at P70 to P95 per kilogram, washed sugar at P64 to P80 per kilogram, and brown sugar at P60 to P85 per kilogram in Metro Manila as of July 25. Meanwhile, the composite raw sugar price at mills stood at P2,252.20 per 50-kilogram bag as of June 21, a slight 0.2 percent drop from the week prior.
