Monsanto sets 1st harvest of Bt corn by April

Monsanto Philippines Inc. (MPI) will begin commercial production of the genetically modified Bt corn this year and expects its first harvest by April.

An official of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) dismissed talks MPI’s license to commercialize Bt corn production could be revoked for failing to comply with certain requirements.

"Everything is in order and Monsanto did submit and complied with every requirement which was the basis of the approval of its application," said a BPI source who was part of the process of evaluating the company’s application.

The official said that based on its application, MPI will start production of Bt corn early this year and will be harvesting its first crop by April. Based on its planting schedule, it will distribute about 15,000 bags of Bt corn seeds in the corn-producing regions of Isabela in northern Luzon and in southern and northern Mindanao.

Protest groups have been asking the Department of Agriculture (DA) to revoke MPI’s license alleging that the company did not adhere to a provision under the law that requires MPI to devote at least 20 percent of its area planted to Bt corn with hybrid corn or traditional corn varities.

This requirement, practiced in Bt corn producing nations such as the US, is necessary to prevent corn borers from mutating to a highly-resistant pest referred to as "super corn borers.

The DA source said however, said that the US requirement may not be applicable under Philippine conditions.

"We have to localize the conditions and for Monsanto, it could be less than 20 percent," said the official, adding that MPI submitted the required insect resistant management (IRM) measures it will take if its crop is infested by insects and pests.

"Monsanto’s IRM comply with the risk assessment instruments that were adopted from internationally-accepted standards," said the official. These instruments were created by the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority, Bureau of Animal Industry, BPI, the Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries, Bureau of Product Standards and the members of the scientific and technical review panel (STRP) which evaluated the application of MPI.

MPI applied for the commercialization of Bt corn with the BPI last Sept. 15. Earlier, it applied with the National Committee on Biosafety of the Philippines to conduct multi-locational testing in several sites in the country.

Its application was approved last Dec. 3 by BPI Director Blo Umpar Adiong.

MPI’s license is valid for five years, and is renewable for successive five-year period if the applicant can prove that continued production of the regulated product does not pose any significant risks to health and the environment. —— Rocel C. Felix