April 4, 2006

Philippines embraces biotech to boost production

In a number of years, consumers biting into a slice of papaya or tucking into a chunk of eggplant from the Philippines may detect a different taste, texture or simply, quantity. Vitamin pills would become obsolete as research institutes come up with vitamin-enriched rice. In fact, most fruits and the country's crops like corn and rice, would undergo genetic modifications if Philippines' headlong plunge into biotechnology is successful.

Agriculture secretary Domingo Panganiban is confident the Philippines will boost its agricultural production by courting modern biotechnology.

Panganiban pointed out the need for good seed-testing laboratories and strengthened support services for the seeds to properly germinate in the fields. High-yield genetically modified crops are being developed to reduce production cost, particularly in the case of corn. The country has planted thousands of hectares of the genetically modified Bt corn that can resist the Asian corn borer, to wide acclaim from its farmers.

Several other transgenic crops are under consideration, like the genetically modified papaya with delayed ripening trait and the ring spot virus-resistant breed, and a genetically modified eggplant.

The Philippine Rice Research Institute (Philrice) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), on the other hand are developing vitamin-enriched rice through genetic engineering.

Panganiban also said organic fertilizers should go hand-in-hand with modern technology to ease the farmers' burden. Through biotechnology, agricultural waste can be converted into organic fertilizers that will benefit both the farmers and the environment, he said.

He urged the industry not to set their sights just on rice but also on a plethora of fruits such as mango, pineapple, banana, virgin coconut oil, and sugarcane.