Twenty years ago, in 1996, biotech crops (as they are products of biotechnology) were commercialized for the first time and were planted in the United States, Argentina, Canada, and China. Biotech crops are also known as genetically modified or transgenic crops.
It was not until in 2003 that the Philippines followed suit. This was when it approved the planting of biotech corn, thus making the country as the first to adopt the technology in Southeast Asia.
Based on the report released by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA), the total hectarage planted with biotech corn in the Philippines reached 812,000 hectares, making the country the 12th biggest producer of transgenic crops in the world. The figure was 16% higher than the 702,000 hectares recorded in 2015.
“The increase is due to favorable weather conditions, and high local demand for livestock and feed stocks,” said the ISAAA report entitled “Global Status of Commercialized Biotech/GM Crops in 2016.”
Filipino farmers planted single gene insect resistant biotech corn in 2003. Over the years, the farmers who adopted the technology have shown a preference for stacked trait corn which occupied 92% of total biotech corn hectares in 2015. Stacked trait corn combines two traits such as insect resistance with herbicide tolerance.
“In 2003 the area for Bt corn did not even reach 50,000 hectares, and now we are talking about 800,000 hectares,” pointed out Dr. Vivencio R. Mamaril, the officer-in-charge director of the Bureau of Plant Industry. “The mere fact that planting area grew to 800,000 hectares is proof that it is a successful crop and farmers believed in it.”
One of those who plant biotech corn in his farm is Indalencio Supan of barangay Balitucan in Magalang, Pampanga.
“I have been farming since I was 20 years,” Supan said, who is now 73 years old. “Before biotech corn was commercialized, I was planting sweet corn but the crop is prone to borer infestation. I learned about biotech corn through seed technicians from the government and private seed companies. They encouraged us to plant this variety to increase our earnings.”
At first, Supan was hesitant. But he was convinced that biotech corn yields more compared with the conventional variety as the latter is usually eaten by corn borer. “We started to plant biotech corn in 2003 and we are still planting it up to now,” he said. “Because of planting of biotech corn, we were able to buy a house and lot, farm machineries and even farm land.”
Another farmer is Faustino Astrero, Jr, of Banga, South Cotabato. “In our place, large seed companies organize a harvest festival for farmers,” he recalled on how he came to know the technology. “Aside from free food, they also give us samples of their products and they conduct seminars on biotech corn.”
When he started to plant biotech corn, Astrero felt more relaxed because there was less labor in planting the transgenic crop. “Unlike with conventional corn, where you still need to till the land,” he said.
“One no longer need to spray insecticide,” he added. “It also reduces my time for corn farming and I can spend more time with other crops. We also get higher yield from biotech corn.”
Rosalie Ellasus, of San Jacinto, Pangasinan, may be a woman but she believes in biotech corn, too. “I tried biotech corn after attending the Farmers’ Field School,” she remembered. “Our speaker had been telling us that we should always choose good seeds.”
Eventually, a seed company conducted a biotech corn trial in a nearby town. “During that time, infestation of ordinary corn in our place was so high,” Ellasus reported. “But with the biotech corn planted for the trial, I really saw the crops were so healthy. There was not even a trace of pests considering that they did not apply insecticide.”
What made her convinced further was that she needed not to visit her corn field daily and this gave her peace of mind. “The production cost will be lessened as well compared to conventional corn farming and the yield will be more,” she said. “This is why I adopted Bt corn.”
Bt stands for Bacillus thuringiensis, a common soil bacterium so called because it was first isolated in the Thuringia region of Germany. It produces a protein that paralyzes the larvae of some harmful insects.
Scientists, through genetic engineering, have taken the Bt gene responsible for the production of the insecticidal protein from the bacterium and incorporated it into the genome of plants. As such, the plants have a built-in mechanism of protection against targeted pests, including Asian corn borer.
Asian corn borer is a major pest that ruins up to 80% of traditional corn varieties in the country. It feeds on the plant stem, leaves and ears even before corn is harvested.
The future of Bt corn seems rosy in the surface but it’s not. During the Joint Media Forum of the Publishers Association of the Philippines, Inc. and Monsanto Philippines in Davao City recently, it was reported that there are already people selling illegal biotech corn.
It was Dr. Gabriel Romero, the Regulatory Policy and Scientific Affairs Lead of Monsanto Philippines, who disclosed the alarming report. According to him, the absence of refuge in counterfeit seeds puts the Bt technology at risk of resistance development. The “refuge system” is an important requirement to keep pests such as Asian corn borer from becoming resistant to Bt corn.
The first time spurious or counterfeit seeds of Bt corn were sold was in 2012 yet by just one company. Five years, in 2017, seven companies are already selling illegal Bt corn “with prices almost half of the real Bt corn seeds.”
According to Philippine Maize Federation, Inc. (PhilMaize), the reason why farmers buy those counterfeit Bt corn seeds is due to its cheap cost. “That’s the reality,” Roger V. Navarro, the federation’s president, was quoted as saying by Business Mirror. “Cost is a big factor for farmers. And that is why they are buying these so-called fake seeds.”
If such activity continues and farmers still patronized counterfeit seeds, Romero warned that corn production would drop. This will also lead to importation of corn feeds given the country’s booming livestock industry.
But more importantly, the buy-and-sell of counterfeit GM seeds will compromise the biotechnology in the country.
