The red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation in the Visayas has sharply worsened, now affecting 2,923.13 hectares and impacting 1,574 farmers as of 9 July, according to the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA). This marks a 44.2 percent increase in the affected area from just two weeks earlier.
The pest, which can cut sugar content by up to 50 percent, poses a serious threat to the sugar sector. Only 237.66 hectares show signs of recovery. With emergency-use permits for effective insecticides still pending, and local governments reluctant to declare a state of calamity—a key step in fast-tracking pesticide procurement—the SRA is pivoting to biological alternatives.
In response, the agency is set to begin field trials this week using fungi known to combat RSSI. If successful, the fungi could be mass-produced as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution. “SRA is taking a look at all of these for long-term interventions,” the agency said, citing the potential of organic controls to reduce reliance on synthetic pesticides.
Meanwhile, sugar prices in Metro Manila remain elevated, with refined sugar retailing between ₱74 and ₱90 per kilogram. Raw sugar prices at the mill gate have slightly dipped, now at ₱2,622.50 per 50-kg bag as of June 29.
