January 7, 2008

Philippines extends commercial use of Monsanto's transgenic corn
 

The Philippines has approved for another five years the commercial cultivation of a genetically-modified Bt corn developed by Monsanto Co. (MON), the Department of Agriculture said on Monday (January 7, 2008).

Joel Rudinas, director of the Bureau of Plant Industry, an attached agency of the agriculture department said that they have ratified the issue.

The original approval expired in December last year.

Bt, or bacillus thuriengensis, corn is a genetically-modified seed variety resistant to the corn borer pest, which damages up to 80 percent of infested corn farmlands.

In 2007, around 200,000 hectares of land had been planted with Bt corn, up from around 130,000 hectares in 2006.