Monsanto opens Bulacan facility

MANILA, Philippines - Agriculture biotechnology firm Monsanto Philippines has opened a refuge-in-a-bag (RIB) blending and packing facility in Pulilan, Bulacan.

The plant, which cost P134 million to build, sits on a 6,000 square meter land area and comprises RIB bending and packing sections.

The facility would initially be operated by 50 people but is expected to increase manpower as operation expands. It has an annual production capacity of 15,000 metric tons.

Blended in the RIB facility are biotech (BT) seeds and non-BT seeds that would result in a planting mixture that would satisfy the refuge requirement of farmers without the need to maintain a separate refuge section.

Companies developing biotechnology crops with pest resistance traits use the refuge strategy to delay the resistance of certain pests to biotechnology traits in a certain crop.

Farmers who cultivate crops with BT traits must create a refuge area – a block or strip of crops that do not contain BT trait. This will prevent pests from developing resistance to the technology. By leaving non- BT crops in the field, insects who feed on that crop remain susceptible to BT technology. When they then mate with the rare insects that survive after feeding on BT corn, they produce offspring that is susceptible to the technology.

“Establishing refuge is a key Insect Resistance Management (IRM) strategy of the Department of Agriculture (DA) for Bt corn to preserve the long term effectiveness of the BT corn technology. The refuge strategy is used worldwide to prevent or delay insect resistance, particularly to the Asiatic Corn Borer (ACB) by serving as host to susceptible insects that can mate with the rare resistant insects surviving exposure to BT proteins in the BT corn crop,” said Monsanto corporate affairs head Charina Ocampo.

The borer population would thus continue to consist largely of susceptible insects to which the BT corn is effective against.

“This facility measures up to the highest international standards not only to ensure that we are fully compliant with all local regulatory requirements but that we are also able to provide the best seeds possible to our corn growers,” said Monsanto Philippines country lead Sandro Rissi.