Visayas Sugarcane Farms Hit by Red-Striped Soft-Scale Infestation Covering Nearly 1,800 Hectares

 

A significant agricultural threat is unfolding across sugarcane-producing areas in the Visayas, where the red-striped soft-scale insect has now infested up to 1,788.9 hectares of plantations. Data from the Sugar Regulatory Administration shows that the damage is spread across four provinces, with varying levels of severity that point to a widening pest control challenge.

Negros Occidental remains the most heavily affected, accounting for 1,645 hectares of damaged farms. It is followed by Negros Oriental with 75.80 hectares, Iloilo with 45.80 hectares, and Capiz with 22 hectares, based on figures as of May 29.

The infestation is not merely a surface-level agricultural issue. The insect directly weakens crop productivity by significantly reducing sugar concentration in cane stalks, with potential losses reaching up to 50 percent in sugar content. In practical terms, this means farmers may harvest nearly the same volume of cane but extract far less sugar, effectively undermining profitability and output efficiency.

Industry stakeholders have expressed concern over the rapid spread. The Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations has called on both the Department of Agriculture and the Sugar Regulatory Administration to intensify containment efforts and prevent further expansion of the infestation. Their appeal reflects growing pressure within the sector to address what is increasingly seen as a recurring biological threat rather than an isolated outbreak.

The situation carries added weight in light of last year’s figures, when approximately 3,700 hectares of sugarcane farms, particularly in Negros Occidental, were affected by the same pest. The current outbreak suggests that containment measures have not fully halted its recurrence, raising questions about long-term control strategies.

In response, the Sugar Regulatory Administration has expanded its biological control initiatives through the mass production of entomopathogenic fungi. This organic solution targets the pest directly and has been identified as an effective method for slowing its spread. Alongside production efforts, the agency is also strengthening technical capacity on the ground.

Training programs on fungi reproduction and application are being continuously conducted, according to SRA board member David Andrew Sanson. The goal is to ensure that local implementers can properly deploy biological controls at scale, improving consistency in pest management across affected regions.

Viewed in broader terms, the infestation functions like a slow, silent drain on sugar recovery efficiency. While fields may still appear intact from a distance, the internal quality of the crop is steadily compromised, reducing the economic value of each harvest cycle. This makes early detection and coordinated intervention critical to stabilizing production in one of the country’s key agricultural sectors.