January 19, 2007

 

Philippines Bt corn-growing areas to more than double
 

 

In the Philippines, areas growing genetically modified Bt corn more than doubled to 160,000 hectares last year compared with 70,000 hectares in 2005, according to an industry estimate.

 

Bt corn areas may expand at a double-digit rate in 2007, Randy Hautea, global coordinator of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications, or ISAAA, said Friday.

 

"It's too early to make projections for the year, but we expect to realize substantial increase in planting areas this year although it may not be as high as the 2006 figure," Hautea said.

 

The dramatic increase in the use of Bt corn seeds in 2006 may have contributed to the Philippines' record corn output of 6.1 million tonnes last year, which the agriculture department attributed to favorable weather conditions and the use of hybrid varieties, he said.

 

Last year, corn-growing areas sown with Bt seeds accounted for around 15 percent of the country's total corn-growing area of around 2.5 million hectares.

 

According to Hautea, more local corn farmers have become aware of the benefits of using the pest-resistant variety.

 

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

 

The average yield from the use of Bt corn is around 6 tonnes a hectare, compared with a yield of only 3.0-3.5 tonnes a hectare from hybrid varieties.

 

Bt corn seeds cost PHP3,500-PHP4,800 (US$71-US$97) per 18-kilogramme bag - more expensive than hybrid varieties, which cost PHP2,200/bag.

 

For 2007, the agriculture department has set a target of producing 6.3 million tonnes of corn, 3 percent higher than last year's output, despite the possible ill-effects of an El Nino-induced drought.

 

The El Nino phenomenon, which began affecting the Philippines in the last quarter of 2006, is expected to intensify in the quarter to June this year.

 

Despite the record harvest in 2006, the Philippines continues to be a net importer of corn, buying around 260,000 tonnes of the grain last year.