How Philippines mountain slopes were converted into rich Bt Corn fields

The gentle mountain slopes in this fascinatingly beautiful place at once catch the attention not merely for their idyllic setting and extremely hospitable people....

The gentle mountain slopes in this fascinatingly beautiful place at once catch the attention not merely for their idyllic setting and extremely hospitable people that reside in their lush green shadows but also for a revolutionary trend in the agriculture they now practice along these inclines.

As one winds through the serene terrains of Cagayan valley in northern Philippines,none can escape the hypnotising effect of the slopes covered with rows of standing corn crops. The Philippines government has left no stone unturned to ensure that the corn farmers produce more,for their own self and for the country whose economys mainstay is agriculture. The country,with over nine crore people to feed,has only small-scale local industries and no big manufacturing units worth the name. Like the capital Manila,swanky malls and super shops can be found dotting the roadside market lines in most small towns that house rows of shanties amidst rich mansion,but the products sold here come from outside. And so,Philippines was quick to adopt biotechnology to boost its economy. Besides Bt Corn,the country has cleared Bt Cotton,maize,potato,soyabean,Argentine canola and sugar beet for use.

Authorities claim that introduction of Bt Corn in the province,that also produces rice like most other parts of the 7,000-odd islands archipelago,has led to the production rising by four tonnes per hectare to 12 tonnes per hectare in less than five years,increasing their incomes from a meager 10,000 Pesos (Philippines currency) to 30 to 40,000 Pesos annually. Across Philippines,Bt Corn is now sowed on over 4 lakh hectares.

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I am thankful to biotech corn. I yield 5,750 kg in my half hectare and earn about 57,000 Pesos out of it, says Hermoso Juan from Diduyon village. I was able to start swine production in my backyard and am generating additional income from it too, he adds.

Wilson Payahna,too,talks of the rich harvest he has reaped ever since he switched from the conventional white corn variety that succumbs easily to the deadly corn borer pest to Bt Corn.

Farmers here use the herbicide tolerant Dekalb 9132 Bt hybrid developed by Monsanto.

In the past five years,the government has helped hasten the process with whatever it could do. Apart from its National Committee on Bio-safety working overtime to test the product for its safety,the government quickly handed ownership certificates to the local tribal farmers who now legally own the mountain slopes,akin to the process India has undertaken under the Tribal Act. Using weedicides,the grassland slopes were converted into regular crop fields and the way was paved for

Bt Corn.

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Being something thats eaten,unlike Bt Cotton,Bt Corn required thorough testing. Only after it was found safe,was it released for use, says Saturnina Halosa,Chairperson of Biotechnology Advisory Team of the Department of Agriculture. Human body doesnt have receptor cells for the Bt toxin and hence,it is safe to consume, she adds.

After corn,Philippines is set to introduce a biotech rice variety called golden rice.

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