Manila, June 19 -- The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) on Thursday urged local government units (LGUs) in areas heavily infested by red-striped soft-scale insects (RSSI) to declare a state of calamity.

In a statement, SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said this will help the national government streamline procedures in addressing the spread of RSSI, which can reduce sugar content by almost 50 percent.

Azcona said this move "will help us in expediting the procurement of pesticides that can be immediately distributed to help abate this infestation."

He assured adequate support, especially in the procurement of pesticides.

Azcona said the Department of Agriculture (DA) allocated at least PHP10 million to buy pesticides.

The SRA ...