The Department of Agriculture – Regional Field Office XII (DA-RFO XII) has intensified pest surveillance and biological control measures to protect Mindanao’s sugarcane industry from the Red-striped Soft Scale Insect (RSSI).
The announcement followed the Mindanao Stakeholders’ Forum on RSSI Infestation in Sugarcane, held at the Provincial Capitol in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat on August 04.
Organized by the Provincial Government of Sultan Kudarat alongside the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), the forum brought together key government agencies, local leaders, researchers, and sugarcane growers to implement a unified regional response to the pest threat.
To contain potential outbreaks, agricultural authorities introduced the RSSI Field Monitoring Scheme and Task Force Protocol. The framework establishes procedures for rapid pest validation, early detection, and coordinated field reporting across sugar-producing provinces in Mindanao.
Representing DA-RFO XII Regional Executive Director Dr. John Pascual, Regional Crop Protection Center (RCPC) XII Chief Dr. Ray Rodriguez and Regulatory Chief Dr. Neil Doton reaffirmed the agency’s full support for SRA-led initiatives.
“Early detection, science-based decision-making, and close collaboration among partner agencies are essential to protecting the region’s sugar industry from emerging pest threats,” said Dr. Rodriguez on behalf of Dr. Pascual.
He added that the DA’s Regulatory Division and RCPC XII will lead field monitoring and technical support operations.
As part of sustainable management efforts, RCPC XII announced the continued mass production of Beauveria bassiana, a biological control fungus currently undergoing field validation against RSSI. The eco-friendly solution aims to reduce farmer reliance on synthetic chemical pesticides under an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) framework.
At the provincial level, Sultan Kudarat Provincial Agriculturist Estela Hallegado confirmed the formation of a dedicated Provincial Task Force and Technical Working Group (TWG) to oversee localized monitoring, data sharing, and immediate field intervention.
Participants at the forum included delegates from the Bureau of Plant Industry – Plant Quarantine Service (BPI-PQS), local government units, private sugar industry players, and local farmers’ associations.
Writer: Justin Aquino, with reports from RCPC XII