Philippines : Negros expects drop in sugar production this year
Negros Occidental expects lower sugar output after RSSI infestation spread across 16,019 hectares in the Negros Island Region, including 14,448 hectares in the province. Authorities approved a state of calamity to access emergency funds, while a task force meets July 10 to coordinate control measures.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said that sugar planters should expect lower production for the next harvest season due of the effects of red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) that has already infested 16,000 hectares in Negros Island Region.
“Many ideas are being brought up on how to address RSSI. We will continue to study that. What is important to monitor is on how widespread it has affected us,” Lacson said.
Lacson, however, did not divulge how much the provincial government will allot to combat the pest infestation.
“It’s only June, big typhoons have not yet hit us. We will always focus on typhoons. We have to be careful with our budget for disasters. We have to balance it out. This is not planned definitely. We will always focus on typhoons. The usual reaction we do when typhoon hits us especially big floods,” Lacson said.
The governor said the task force to combat the RSSI infestation will meet on July 10 to address the matter.
“Our crop will go down coupled with low prices. Seriously, its a serious drawback for the sugar industry,” he added.
The Sugar Regulatory Administration, during a stakeholders’ forum held at Nature’s Village Resort on Monday, said that the RSSI infestation on sugarcane farms has already affected 16,019.16 hectares in the region.
Negros Occidental bears the heaviest share at 14,447.83 hectares, affecting 5,435 farmers in 365 barangay.
During its regular session on Tuesday, the Negros Occidental Sanggunian Panlalwigan (Provincial Board) approved PDRRMC Resolution 5 recommending that the entire province be placed under a state of calamity because of the RSSI infestation.
The resolution, which was already signed by Lacson, cites the widespread crop damage and threat to agriculture posed by the sap-sucking pest, which has affected several areas in the province.
Declaring a state of calamity allows local government units to access quick response funds and implement emergency measures to control the outbreak.
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Source : The Manila Times
