Victorias City rolls out pest-tolerant sugarcane variety

BACOLOD CITY — The city government of Victorias in Negros Occidental has distributed PSR 03-171, a high-yielding and pest-tolerant sugarcane variety, to 50 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) in Barangay V to help farmers cope with the destructive Red-Striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI).

The high-quality cane points were turned over to the farmers on Thursday, Sept. 17, for field cultivation.

Philippine Sugar Research Institute (PHILSURIN) Director General Maria Regina Martin said Victorias City is the first local government to fund small sugarcane farmers, aiming to improve productivity and strengthen their crops against pests.

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READ: Sugarcane pest attack widens; Negros worst hit

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Martin said PSR 03-171 is more tolerant of RSSI and has shown minimal to no stunting, unlike other varieties affected by the pest.

“Today, we celebrate more than the introduction of a new sugarcane variety. We celebrate the power of research, partnership, and hope,” Martin said during the turnover ceremony.

She said the variety was selected for its high yield potential, ease of cultivation and promising tolerance to RSSI, a major pest affecting sugarcane production.

Martin said seven other local government units—Sagay, Cadiz, Manapla, EB Magalona, Silay, Talisay and Murcia—have also started establishing seed farms in preparation for the coming crop year and to replace RSSI-affected varieties.

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“Research only achieves its true purpose when implemented on the ground,” Martin said, adding that the value of a new variety is realized through improved harvests and better livelihoods for farming families.

She thanked Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and the provincial government for supporting efforts to bring agricultural innovations to farmers.

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“The cane points you received are more than planting materials — they are a promise of opportunity, a stronger foundation for better harvests, and a more sustainable future,” Martin told the farmer-beneficiaries.

The partnership between Victorias City and PHILSURIN was initiated under former Mayor Javier Miguel Lopez Benitez, now a representative, and has continued under Mayor Abelardo Bantug III.

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The city established a 2-hectare primary seed farm for initial propagation, which was later expanded into a 12-hectare secondary seed farm to produce larger volumes of planting materials. /das