The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) inspected sugarcane fields in Bacolod City on Thursday, stepping up efforts to combat the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI), a pest threatening sugar production on Negros Island.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had directed the DA to act swiftly to contain the infestation and prevent its spread across the island, the country’s leading sugar-producing region.
“We have ongoing pesticide spraying operations. With the support of the SRA and our regional office here, I’m confident we can quickly contain the infestation,” Tiu Laurel said.
SRA administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said researchers identified a natural predator that could help control the RSSI population. “But that solution will take time. For now, we must act immediately, so we are using chemical pesticides,” Azcona said.