Northern Luzon, The Philippines
April 18, 2004
The Philippine STAR via
SEARCA
The use of the revolutionary pest resistant biotechnology
processed-corn, more popularly known as Bt-corn, continued to
swell following the record harvest it yielded for the
agricultural community in Northern Luzon last cropping season.
Brgy. Captain Pacifico Agcaoili of Bangal, Alfonso Lista, Ifugao
said that his use of Yieldgard, the Bt-corn produced by
Monsanto, enabled him to harvest high-quality grains at 6.4 tons
per hectare, a number that is 2 tons per hectare higher that the
usual yield he gets.
Yieldgard is a pest-resistant biotechnology-processed corn
developed by Monsanto. It produces proteins that kill the
Asiatic corn borer, a major insect pest of corn. Studies have
earlier shown that Yieldgard yields as much as forty percent
more than the usual harvest a farmer gets in one crop season.
Being pest-resistant, it does not need pesticides during the
crop season.
Agcaoili also said that Yieldgard saved him time and energy
because of its built-in protection against corn borer. "The use
of Yieldgard afforded me the best quality of corn grains without
the application of harmful and expensive pesticides", he added.
Other farmers in the provinces of Ifugao and Isabela also
expressed their overwhelming support in the use of the
biotechnology-processed corn in their farms.
Orlando Alivia, former mayor of Aurora, Isabela and landowner in
Alfonso Lista, Ifugao said Yiedgard generated him an increase in
harvest of more than 2 tons per hectare in his 50-hectare farm.
The Good Samaritan Multipurpose Cooperative Inc. (GSMPCI)
boasting of 300 members in Isabela also expressed support
concerning the use of the biotechnology-processed corn.
Magdalena Dela Cruz, an officer of the cooperative said that the
use of Yieldgard in their farms yielded a harvest of two tons
per hectare higher than the recorded yields they had with
ordinary hybrid. She said that until Yieldgard, they
continuously have to endure every planting season the damaging
effects of corn borer.
Farmer Jimmy Recto, who owns about 40 hectares of land in
Cauayan City, also said that "2 bags of Yieldgard last cropping
season" yielded him an average of 120 cavans per hectare, which
registers an increase of more than 20 cavans per hectare than
his usual yield.
Earlier, the use of biotechnology in agriculture received
support from the Philippine Maize Federation, the country's
biggest organization of corn farmers.
It has also received support from Church leaders,
non-governmental associations, government officials and the
scientific community.
Other Asian countries have taken steps ahead of the Philippines
in the application of biotechnology to their respective
agricultural sectors. |