Rice farmers in five towns of Surigao del Sur can now benefit from a laboratory that will help eliminate pest infestation and rice farm diseases in the area, the Department of Agriculture in Caraga (DA-13) said Tuesday.

In a statement, the DA-13 said it formally opened a Biological Control (Biocon) Agent Laboratory in the town of Cantilan on Monday.

The opening of the laboratory was led by DA-13 Regional Executive Director Ricardo Oñate Jr., Cantilan Mayor Carla Lopez-Pichay, and Surigao del Sur 1st District Representative Prospero Pichay.

“The laboratory will directly benefit the farmers in the towns of Carrascal, Cantilan, Madrid, Carmen, and Lanuza,” the DA-13 said.

The agency added that the laboratory will supply Biocon agents, such as the Metharizium anisopliae, a fungus that grows upon insect host cuticle that controls the population of rice black bug (RBB), locust, mosquitoes, and soil termites.

The laboratory will also conduct mass production of other biological control agents, including Trichoderma and Trichogramma, and intensify the promotion of integrated pest management and biological control of pests and diseases in its coverage area.

“Through the (laboratory), it will be able to easily supply Biocon agents to the farmers in the first district of Surigao del Sur while serving the whole province in terms of natural pest management,” the DA-13 said.

The agency also handed over to the Cantilan town government the equipment and materials for the laboratory, which included a fabricated laminar flow hood, a heavy-duty blender, and a pressure cooker. (PNA)