Four big biotech firms seek license for agri products

Four big biotechnology firms – Monsanto Philippines Inc., Syngenta, Pioneer Hybrid and Bayer Science Corp. are seeking licenses for the commercial production of genetically modified soyabean, cotton, corn, canola, potato and sugar beet seeds in the country.

Dr. Vicencio Mamaril, vice chairman of the biotechnology team of the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) said these companies’ applications are being carefully evaluated by the agency.

"We would have to carefully evaluate if these biotech seeds are safe for human and animal consumption and is not harmful to the environment," said Mamaril.

The screening process will be similar to the exercise undertaken for Monsanto’s 1810, which is commonly known as the BT (Bacillus Thuringiensis) corn seeds that was heavily criticized by environmentalists.

Despite protests moves by anti-biotechnology groups, however, the Department of Agriculture (DA) subsequently issued a license allowing Monsanto to commercially produce Bt corn.

For new applications, Mamaril said a group of independent scientists will be hired by the government to do further evaluation.

This condition is part of new stringent measures on raw materials containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs). These measures were specified under the controversial Administrative Order No. 8 issued by the DA last year.

In another development, local companies that use imported corn, soybean, wheat, among others, as raw materials for the manufacture of products either for food and feed will be required to secure permits from the BPI and the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) before they could bring in their products.

Thus, companies involved in feed milling and processing such as San Miguel Corp., General Milling Corp, RFM Swift Food will have to declare to these agencies if their manufacturing inputs contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). These will then be evaluated by the DA.

Mamaril said that San Miguel Corp. and other members of the Philippine Association of Feed Millers Inc. are requesting for an extension until the end of the year as they expressed fears that the new stringent rule may disrupt the local production and sale of feeds to the local market.

However, Agriculture Secretary Luis P. Lorenzo Jr. said the department is no longer extending the deadline for these companies to comply with AO No. 8.

The Philippines is a big importer of corn and corn substitutes that averages to 1.2 million metric tons a year.

At the same time that companies are required to declare their GMO inputs for evaluation, foreign suppliers will also be required to do the same before these are allowed entry into the country.