Farmers hope for approval of Bt eggplant cultivation

CEBU, Philippines - Despite the series of calamities that hit the Philippines recently, specifically the Visayas region, Filipino farmers remain hopeful of the Bt  (Bacillus thuringiensis) eggplant cultivation, which will spare farmers and consumers from harmful chemical sprays even as Bangladesh already approved Bt brinjal’s commercial release in its market.

Bangladesh’s National Committee on Biosafety approved last week of October the commercial release of Bt brinjal, a genetically modified (GM) eggplant.

Eggplant is the most consumed vegetable in the Philippines, much like in other Asian countries including Bangladesh and India.

As of 2009, eggplant value in the Philippines, according to the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics, reached P3.13 billion for 200,942 metric-tons.  It was planted on 21,170 hectares mostly found in Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Cebu, and Quezon.

There are around 30,243 eggplant farmers in the country cultivating an average of 7,000 square meters as of  2009. 

  In the Philippines, state-run Institute of Plant Breeding of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (IPB-UPLB) is putting the Bt eggplant’s trait in local eggplant varieties including the Dumaguete Long Purple.

Reynaldo Cabanao, a Bukidnon-based farmer and Asian Farmers Regional Network (ASFARNET) president, said farmers in Mindanao now similarly await Bt eggplant.

“Farmers are just waiting for Bt eggplant to be commercialized.  They’re ready to adopt it,” said Cabanao.

Farmers’ practice of spraying chemicals not only exposes the farmers to danger but also the consumers.

Farmers do not always observe internationally accepted food safety practice of stopping spraying 30 days before harvest.

Serge R. Francisco in “Projected Impact of Agricultural Biotechnologies for fruits and vegetables in the Philippines and Indonesia” indicated the Philippines will have a net benefit of P3.297 billion from planting of eggplant.

This is from reduced insecticide use and an increase in yield by 40-50 percent due to the absence of pests. 

The greater benefit is to consumers and to the environment.

“The net present value of adopting Bt eggplant was estimated at P1.864 billion with an internal rate of return of 86.8 percent. Consumers would also be safer because of reduced insecticide residues on the product,” Francisco said.

 With the technology, eggplant production in the country will be able to comply with Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) food safety standard.  This will enhance Filipino produce’s marketability internationally.

“It will significantly reduce insecticide residues to maximum residue limit or MRL, the allowable limit set by FAO that will not cause health related problems to humans,” according to Mario Navasero, University of the Philippines-Los Baños entomologist.

The technology is good for water resources and for biodiversity.

“The reduction in pesticide use would lessen pesticide pollution of waterways and groundwater, reduce harm to non-target organisms, improve the abundance of flora and fauna in the soil, and minimize hazards posed to farm labor and consumers,” said Francisco.

A survey conducted by Dr. Cesar Quicoy of the College of  Economics-UPLB showed farmers could never grow eggplant without using pesticide spray.

On the  other hand, using Bt eggplant, farmers will earn an additional P50,000 per hectare as they omit excessive spraying. 

Prior to market release, Bt eggplant is expected to go through local government regulators’ stringent evaluation of field trials,  nutrient analysis, and food safety tests of toxicity and allergenicity.  This is even after the same Bt eggplant has passed food safety regulation in India.

IPB-UPLB has been developing Bt Eggplant together with a consortium called Agricultural Biotechnology Support Project.  Development cost is estimated at P29 million over 10 years.  It is funded by UPLB, Department of Agriculture, and the United States Agency for International Development. —/JOB (FREEMAN)