Fungi production vs sugarcane pest attack hastened

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines — The mass production of a natural fungus against the red-striped soft scale insect has been sped up to help stop RSSI infestation on sugarcane plantations in the Visayas, according to the Department of Agriculture.

The DA said that as of June 11, the pest has destroyed 4,605 hectares of sugarcane farms in Negros Island Region and Western Visayas.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. directed the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to address the infestation.

Tiu Laurel assured the SRA that additional funds would be provided to address the situation.

The DA earlier allocated P8 million for RSSI mitigation efforts.

Tiu Laurel said the additional funding may only be used to expand fungi production as well as for developing artificial intelligence-based tools for early pest detection and monitoring.

“We have the technology and the capability to produce the biocontrol agent. We must have enough biocontrol agents to cover at least 75,000 hectares,” Tiu Laurel said during the 40th anniversary celebration of the SRA on Tuesday.

First detected in 2022, the RSSI has become one of the most serious biological threats facing the sugar industry.