Government mulls credit for biotech corn

Makati City million jobs Tetch Chaplain program secretary said the government is considering plans to provide credit assistance to farmers who plant Bt corn, in order to accelerate agricultural productivity in maize-growing areas. "The need to ensure food supply is vital for the country and the Asian region in general is threatened by the crisis in the Middle East," he said during a recent meeting with farmers in the Philippines and Thailand at the Asian Institute management. In 2001, Argentina imported 171,770 tonnes of maize worth U.S. $ 25.6M, an improvement over 2000 when the Argentina imported 446,430 tons. These are mainly used for tying feedmilling industry feedcrop and industry. farm animal technologies that can help improve production and increase efficiency should be used sustainably. "Safe and responsible use of biotechnology is an option that the government supports our goal in modernizing agriculture," Chaplain said. A tough and fair regulation is important for the credibility and trust among stakeholders. In the Philippines, strict biosecurity measures in place in the research phase of propagation. The Department of Agriculture and the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines Premier bodies to assess the applications and assess and monitor business-related biotechnology products prior to licensing. For example, Monsanto's YieldGard 818 has suffered a series of evaluations since 1996 in the field of greenhouse trials in various wheat-growing areas before being awarded the license to broadcast in December 2002. Again, the areas are planted with Bt corn, will be supervised by the Department. Asian corn borer, Ostrinia furnacalis G. is a most damaging pest of maize, which may cause loss of 80% yield. borer feeds on corn plants create holes and tunnels that eventually damage the leaves, stalks, tassels, the axils of the leaves, ears, and ears of the corn plant. A bit female can lay 500-1500 eggs. The first generation of borers occurs during the late vegetative stage and the spiraling corn plant before the flakes form. The second generation attacks during pollen shedding and ear training. The control of foot Farmers in many different ways, including the time of the planting season, the removal of tassels, the deployment of Trichogramma, and the application of insecticides. With advances in genetic engineering, Bt corn is developed that makes the menu of options for farmers to expand treatment in the corn borer. This is done by inserting a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis, a natural soil bacterium that produces a specific protein in the crystal insecticidal plant corn or cry genes. The protein is specific only to cry corn borers. In the Philippines the first country in Southeast Asia to enable commercial propagation of Bt corn, Capellans encouraged farmers to study the experience of Thailand Philippines to enable them to participate meaningfully in agricultural policies on GMOs. Noting that while Thai farmers maize yields per hectare counterparts Philippines, Thailand still imports maize to its rapid growth of livestock and poultry. Food security in the region is a major concern in ASEAN, then, new technologies, including biotechnology should be used. Thais to plant Bt corn, the desirability of a common experience and cooperation in the region. SEARCH Los Banos-based Biotechnology Information Center facilitated the visit of Thai farmers to observe first-hand experience at sea before the commercial propagation of Bt corn Reference: Ms. P. Sonny Tababa spt@agri.searca.org Network Administrator for Biotechnology Information Center or stababa@yahoo.com Rachel P. Lomibao rpl@agri.searca.org Center for Biotechnology Information, rpl_03@yahoo.com or visit the website: http:// www.searca.org/ BIC ~ / media / index. htm