MANILA — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has directed the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to ramp up the production of biological control agents to combat the spread of the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI), a pest threatening the country’s sugar industry.

Speaking during the SRA’s 40th anniversary celebration on Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. instructed the agency to intensify efforts against the infestation and assured additional government support for containment measures.

“I told SRA to address the RSSI infestation head on. We have the technology and the capability to produce the biocontrol agent to do so,” Tiu Laurel said. “We must have enough biocontrol agents to cover at least 75,000 hectares.”

The DA chief’s directive comes amid concerns over the continued spread of the sap-feeding insect, which can reduce the sugar content of affected sugarcane by up to 50 percent, resulting in lower productivity and reduced earnings for farmers.

According to the SRA, reports from Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental indicate that infestations may have affected more than 30 percent of planted areas. The agency has so far verified around 4,600 hectares.

Industry sources have also reported possible infestations in Iloilo, Capiz, Leyte, and parts of Mindanao, raising concerns that the pest could spread further if not immediately controlled.

First detected in the Philippines in 2022, RSSI has become one of the most significant biological threats facing the sugar sector. The insect weakens sugarcane by feeding on plant sap and promotes the growth of sooty mold, which reduces photosynthesis and crop yields.

The SRA leads the Inter-agency RSSI Task Force created in 2025 and has been implementing pest control measures while educating farmers on integrating RSSI management practices into sugarcane production.

The agency currently has about P8 million allotted for mitigation efforts. However, Tiu Laurel said more funds would be provided to expand fungus-based biocontrol production and support the development of artificial intelligence-powered systems for pest detection and monitoring.

He also said the laboratories of the Bureau of Plant Industry and other DA facilities would be made available to help accelerate the production of biological control agents.

The initiative forms part of the government’s push for science-based and environmentally sustainable pest management strategies aimed at protecting domestic sugar production, improving industry resilience, and supporting long-term sugar self-sufficiency.