SRA eyes movement control of sugarcane amid pest infestation in Negros

Metro Manila, Philippines - The government is poised to regulate the movement of sugarcane planting materials in Negros Occidental amid the pest infestation that hit the fields of the country’s major sugar producer.

The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said Monday, June 9, that it has received a directive from Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. to implement controls “from this day forward.. with or without a disease, with or without a pest.”

“The movement of plants and planting materials whether for commercial or research purposes, should be initially approved by the SRA and forwarded to the DA (Department of Agriculture) through the BPI (Bureau of Plant Industry)... before these movements can happen,” SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona told sugar industry stakeholders in a forum in Bacolod.

The SRA has yet to create a board resolution to that effect, but the DA and the BPI have been notified on the possible ban of entry and exit of plant materials to and from Negros, the agency told reporters in a Viber message.

David Sanson, a Planters’ Representative board member of the SRA, also said logistics and regulatory rules are still being discussed.

Red striped soft scale insects have been reported in some fields in northern Negros Occidental in May 21. Based on the latest monitoring, over 800 hectares across the province were hit by the insects, affecting more than 400 farmers.

Negros Occidental produces around 65 percent of the country’s sugar output, Azcona said.

Sanson said the pest infestation has no effect on current supply and prices of sugar, but if not contained, the impact may be felt in the next crop year since young canes were mostly affected.

The red striped soft scale insects were first observed in Pampanga in June 2022, then in Batangas in August 2023. This was the first discovery of the pest in Negros Occidental.