SUBIC
BAY, PHILIPPINES: Asian countries are
increasingly adopting biotechnology for enhancing agriculture production. This
emerged at a session organised by CropLife Asia and Biotech Coalition of the
Philippines as part of Sixth Pan-Asia Farmers Exchange Programme at Subic Bay,
the Philippines.
Representatives
of as many as nine Asian countries participated in the session and talked about
issues relating to adoption of biotechnology in their respective countries.
Talking
about Plant Biotech Benefits, the Executive Secretary of Biotechnology
Coalition of the Philippines, Abraham Manalo said the Philippines was the first
country in Southeast Asia to establish a regulatory system for genetically
modified (GM) crops, while it is the sole country in the region currently
commercialising GM/biotech crops.
“The
advancements made by the Philippines are significant as it is the first country
in Southeast Asia to be included in the top 15 biotech mega-countries. Its
National bio-safety policy is considered as a model framework to other
countries,” he added.
He
claimed that the adoption of biotechnology had helped corn farmers in lowering
production cost and led to a 60 percent reduction in pesticide use, as well as
lowered labor costs associated with weeding and spraying.
Yield
benefits are also huge as farmers harvested 34 percent more produce of Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt) corn over non-Bt varieties. It is estimated that benefits of
planting biotech maize to farmers has been to the tune of $108 million during
2003-2009, Manalo observed. More importantly, it is claimed, he said, that no
negative effect has been recorded on beneficial insects.
During
her session, Lucy Li, a Communication Specialist at Bayer CropScience China,
discussed issues pertaining to Biotech Application in China. She said adoption
rate of Bt cotton in China stood at 71.5 per cent with 3.9 million hectares
under cultivation.
She
added that Bt cotton virtually saved China’s cotton industry as it was badly
affected due to disaster of cotton bollworms in 1990s, which resulted in great
production loss.
She
said that as many as 95 percent of Bt cotton cultivated in China is locally
developed varieties. In total, 64 varieties of Bt cotton are grown in China,
while seven million cotton farmers planted it at 3.9 million hectare in 2011.
An
increase in the income of farmers- by approximately $220 per hectare, on
average- has been estimated due to a 10 percent increase in yield and a 60
percent reduction in insecticides use, she said.
Besides
Bt Cotton, GM papaya and GM poplar have also been allowed to be sown
commercially, she said, adding several other GM crops were on various stages of
approval.
With
biotech crops expected to provide an important contribution, the Chinese
government has aimed to increase the total production to 540 million tons by
2020 and to double Chinese farmers’ income by the year 2020, Li concluded.
In his
presentation, Dr Nadoor Seetharama, Director Association of Biotechnology led
Enterprises (ABLE), said that only one GM crop is officially being cultivated
on a large scale in India and that is cotton. He added that the area under
cotton sowing had phenomenally increased, ranking India at the second position
in cotton production in the world.
Nevertheless,
he said, the introduction of Bt cotton and GM crops had also resulted in
several undesirable controversies for the nation.
On the
other hand, there has been no tangible development in Thailand for the adoption
of biotechnology, despite the introduction of this technology in the country
some 20 years ago.
Dr
Sujin Patarapuwadol, Assistant Director, Centre for Agricultural Biotechnology,
Kasetsart University, said that based on the cabinet’s decision on April 3,
2001, Thailand does not allow import and production of any transgenic plants
for commercial purposes and field trials except for processed food and imports
or sales of soybeans and corn for feed use, human consumption, and industrial
use.
In
2003, the genetically modified organisms (GMO) roadmap was acknowledged and
endorsed by the Thailand National Biotechnology Policy Committee. She added
that work on development of yellow leaf curl virus-resistant tomato and
virus-resistance papaya had been done.
Prof.
Dr Bahagiawati Amir Husin, Scientist, Indonesia Center for Agricultural
Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Research (ICABIOGRAD) said that Indonesian
scientists and decision-makers believe that biotechnology potentially increases
agriculture production.
However,
even though the government has been supporting the establishment of several
centers of research facilities for research and development of GM crops since
the early 1990s, there has not been a visible advancement on this front on
ground.
In
October 2010 and January 2011, Husin said, the Ministry of Agriculture stated
that the biotech crop has a role in helping to sustain agriculture production
in the perspective of climate change.
Limited
field trials of GM crops are being conducted for drought tolerance sugarcane,
potato resistance to late blight and rice resistance to stem borer.
Work is
also being done on food safety approval of maize herbicide tolerant GA21 and
insect resistance maize BT11 etcetera, Husin added.
Pakistani
representatives at the Programme highlighted that introduction of formal
certified GM crops in the country had been a distant reality due to various
factors.
Ilyas
Nadeem, Commercial Operation Lead Monsanto Pakistan and Dr. Mohammad Zafar
Hayat District Governor Lodhran, Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) said that
almost all the Bt cotton in the country was not properly certified and largely
came from informal sources.
About
commercialisation of GM maize, Nadeem said, field trials were being carried out
in the country and it is hoped that commercial plantation of GM maize would be
allowed following completion of prescribed procedure.
Munawar
Hasan
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