Corn growers push law on agri biotechnology

MANILA, Philippines – Corn farmers are urging the Department of Agriculture (DA) to craft a law on agricultural biotechnology to protect the local food supply chain.

The Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (Philmaize) cited the need to push for a legislation that would preserve the right of local farmers to plant and distribute genetically modified (GM) crops in the country.

“The lack of an agricultural biotechnology law opens up the food supply chain to legal distortions,” Philmaize chairman emeritus Rod Bioco said.

The desire for an agricultural biotechnology law followed the issuance of a Supreme Court ruling last December that temporarily stopped the propagation and importation of GM plants and crops.

Bioco said the ruling threatened and almost paralyzed the agricultural supply chain comprised of the corn farming, feed milling and livestock industries.

He added that a law on biotechnolgy would ensure food security for the future  in case there were similar moves taken by anti-GM groups.

“Farmers should be given the freedom to choose what would be best for them and so far GM corn has increased yields and income in the past years,” Philmaize president Roger Navarro said.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), corn production was estimated to have reached 2.1 million metric tons (MT) in the first quarter, 6.3 percent lower than the earlier forecast of 2.21 million MT and 12.4 percent below the 2.37 million MT output last year.

The decline was attributed to the dry spell brought by  El Niño in several areas especially in Northern Mindanao.

About 370,000 hectares of the updated standing crop have been harvested.

Around 260,000 hectares or 72.2 percent of the planting intentions for the second quarter harvests have already been planted.

The Philippines produces mostly yellow corn where 70 percent goes to feed mills while the remaining is used for food.

The local corn industry covers 2.5 million hectares with an average yield of four MT per hectare and benefits around 11 million people.