The Philippines is being encouraged to expand the adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops to strengthen the agriculture sector, with a focus on bio-engineered high-value crops that can resist pests and diseases, improve yields, and support exports.
Rhodora Romero-Aldemita, executive director of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications Inc. (ISAAA), said crops such as avocado, banana, and pineapple are potential candidates for biotechnology development. "Banana is one of the export earners of the Philippines, and it is always affected by viral diseases, bacterial bite, and fungal diseases as well. So, disease-resistant bananas are very important because we export a lot of bananas," she said during an ISAAA-organized workshop in Manila.
"We also export a lot of pineapples. So, high-value crops, exportable crops that will earn money for our country, would be very good," she added.
Romero-Aldemita noted that the Philippines can make use of GM varieties already commercialized overseas through material transfer agreements and then adapt them to local conditions. "We don't have to start from scratch. What we need is to make sure these crops are resistant, high-yielding, and suitable to our environment," she said.
She pointed out that the broader adoption of GM crops in the Philippines has been slowed by ongoing court cases and changes in policy direction. "There are court cases that are still there, and we're still waiting for them to give the final verdict so that we can continue on with the research, with the deployment of seeds so that farmers can have that," she said.
Romero-Aldemita also noted that stronger government support could accelerate adoption. "And we also believe that political will would provide a positive impact as well, just like in Myanmar and Bangladesh, where even the governments are the ones pushing for farmers to plant," she said.
ISAAA data shows that the Philippines has planted GM crops, including corn, rice, eggplant, and cotton, on about 709,000 hectares. This is lower compared to India's 11.9 million hectares or China's 3.5 million hectares. Other Asia-Pacific countries include Australia with 2.2 million hectares, Pakistan with 1.9 million, and Myanmar with 150,000 hectares. Indonesia has 13,300 hectares under GM crops, while Bangladesh has 2,786 hectares.
Source: philstar Global