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DA releases P10M for pest containment efforts in Negros sugar farms
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has released P10 million for pesticide procurement to combat the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation affecting sugar production on Negros Island.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stated that the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) has already procured the necessary pesticides and is conducting ongoing spraying operations.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed the DA to act swiftly to contain the infestation and prevent its spread across the country's top sugar-producing region.
Secretary Laurel is personally monitoring the sugarcane farms in Negros Occidental and reinforcing quarantine measures for the transport of sugarcane planting materials.
The DA's Bureau of Plant Industry has been ordered to trace the origin of planting materials suspected of carrying the pest from Luzon, and investigations are underway.
SRA researchers have identified a parasite that can naturally control the RSSI population, which may be used in containment efforts.
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The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is requesting P10 million from the Department of Agriculture (DA) for an emergency response to a red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation affecting sugarcane plantations in the Negros Island Region and Western Visayas.
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The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is implementing a transport control policy to prevent the spread of red-striped soft-scale insects (RSSI) in the Negros Island Region (NIR).
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