Biotek products soon to be commercialized

More products of agricultural biotechnology developed by Filipino scientists will soon be commercialized as the government steps up its program to increase food production and ensure the country’s food security.

Agriculture Secretary Domingo Panganiban said the Philippine Carabao Center (PCC) will soon come up with the first cloned carabao or "Super Buffalo" within the next two years at the same time that a pest-resistant breed of eggplant will soon be commercialized.

He said papaya resistant to the ring spot virus and papaya with delayed-ripening trait, multi-virus resistant tomato and other genetically-improved variety of crops are currently in the pipeline.

He said the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) is also developing multi-vitamin-enriched rice.

Panganiban said the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is also developing improved breed of tilapia and milkfish (bangus) that are better-tasting, fast-growing and can live in different conditions.

He said BFAR had recently came up with tilapia that can survive in cold and salt water, and are now being cultured in marine areas in the Cordillera and Mindanao.

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), he said, is also coming up with a kadang-kadang resistant variety of coconut to solve the problem brought about by the disease.

Director Alicia Ilaga, chairperson of the DA’s Biotechnology Implementation Unit, said the government is also focusing research and development in biopharming, or the commercialization of plant-made pharmaceuticals. She said the government is now stepping up research and development to supply ingredients of pharmaceutical products through public-private partnership.

The Agriculture secretary, meanwhile, said he would approve the release of funds for biopharming next month.

Panganiban said the country is pinning its hope on agricultural biotechnology to increase food production to solve the problem brought about by the diminishing land area devoted to food production.

He said over the past 10 years, around 500,000 hectares have been converted for industrial, commercial and residential uses, adding that only through modern agriculture technology can the country cope with the increasing demand for food.

In 2003, the country released the Bt corn, a variety of corn that can resist the Asian corn borer. Bt corn is induced with the Bacillus thuriengiensis, a bacteria known to be the natural enemy of corn borer. This, he reported, dramatically increased yield and reduced cost brought about by the use of pesticide of Bt corn farmers. — Biolife News Service