9-Misc: Mayor of Surallah (Philippines) bans Bt corn

[GENET <coordination@genet-info.org>]

                                  PART I
-------------------------------- GENET-news -------------------------------

TITLE:  Town bans Bt-corn
SOURCE: Sun Star, Philippines, by Allen V. Estabillo
        http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/gen/2005/06/27/news/
town.bans.bt.corn.html
DATE:   27 Jun 2005

------------------- archive: http://www.genet-info.org/ -------------------


Town bans Bt-corn

SURALLAH, South Cotabato -- Local officials declared to ban the entry and
planting of genetically-engineered crops in the area, especially of the
controversial Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn, as part of their moves to
transform the municipality into a "chemical-free zone" and a haven for
organic crops.

Surallah Mayor Romulo Solivio made the declaration last week after
launching organic farming as the municipal government's flagship
agriculture program for the next three years.

"We will work for the changing of our farming systems from conventional
to traditional sustainable agriculture through organic and biodynamic
farming," Solivio said in a press conference.

Dubbed "Palangumhan Aton Respituhon, Atimanon, Ibalik sa Sinadto kag
Organiko" or Paraiso, Solivio said the program provides for a gradual
phase-out of the use of inorganic fertilizers and pesticides in the
town's 17 barangays.

He said it also pushes for the massive planting of organic rice, which
had been identified as the town's main product under the National
Government's "One Town One Product" or Otop program.

The municipal government initially tapped the services of the Don Bosco
youth training center, a non-government training institution specializing
on organic farming, based in Makilala town in Cotabato Province for the
training of local farmers.

To complement the program's implementation, Solivio said they will set as
an official policy the banning of the entry, sale and planting of
biotechnology products or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the
municipality.

He specifically cited a ban on the planting of the corn-borer resistant
Bt corn produced by seed company Monsanto.

"The organic farming principle essentially requires us to adopt only the
traditional and natural farming systems and product and we don't intend
to make any compromises or excuses," Solivio said.

The distribution and planting of Bt corn has been facing strong
opposition from the Catholic Church and environmental groups due to its
supposed health and environmental risks.

But the Department of Agriculture and seed producer Monsanto has
repeatedly assured the safety of the Bt corn.

Bt corn, which was developed to resist Asiatic corn borers, was
distributed commercially in the Philippines beginning 2003 after
obtaining approval from the government in late 2002.


                                  PART II
-------------------------------- GENET-news -------------------------------

TITLE:  Bt-corn not financially rewarding
SOURCE: Sun Star, Philippines, by Allen V. Estabillo
        http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/gen/2005/06/27/bus/
bt.corn.not.financially.rewarding.html
DATE:   27 Jun 2005

------------------- archive: http://www.genet-info.org/ -------------------


Bt-corn not financially rewarding

THE genetically-engineered Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) corn does not
directly offer increase in production yields, contrary to claims of
"windfall benefits" by its producers and proponents in the government, a
study made by environmental group Greenpeace bared.

The study, entitled "The Economics of Bt Corn: Whose interest does it
really serve?" claimed that Bt corn, which is being sold commercially in
the country over the last two and a half years, is not a viable option
for small Filipino farmers due to the high cost of the seeds, fertilizers
and other inputs required in planting the crop.

Greenpeace said it released the study last Monday to counter the
continuing "misleading claims" by Bt corn seed producer Monsanto and the
Department of Agriculture that the crop ensures increase in yields and
reduces the farmers' dependence on fertilizers and chemicals.

"Our findings prove that the Arroyo government should never have approved
the commercialization of Bt corn. Monsanto is promoting it as profitable
for small farmers but it's not. Bt corn is actually a lot more expensive
than conventional corn varieties," Greenpeace genetic engineering (GE)
campaigner Daniel Ocampo said in a separate statement emailed to this
reporter.

According to the Greenpeace study, Bt corn seeds, which were developed to
resist the Asiatic corn borer pests, are currently sold at P4,400 to
P4,900 per 18-kilogram bag, approximately twice the price of the more
expensive non-Bt hybrid corn seeds.

Conventionally bred hybrid seeds sell at about P1,500 to P,2700 while the
open pollinated varieties (OPVs) are priced between P460 to P1,200, it said.

An 18-kilogram bag of seeds covers one hectare of land for hybrid and Bt
corn while and 20-kilograms for OPVs.

For fertilizers, Greenpeace said it has established that Bt corn plants
require more usage of Urea, complete or 14-14-14 and the 16-20-0.

It said the usage is two to three bags per hectare for OPVs, six bags for
hybrid and 15 bags for Bt corn.

The said usage rate was reportedly recommended by Monsanto field
technicians to farmers in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro. In Isabela, the
recommended fertilizer usage is around 4 bags per hectare for OPVs and 6
to 8 bags both for hybrid and Bt corn.

A check with some farmers in Tantangan town in South Cotabato showed the
same recommendations from Monsanto personnel.

"This large quantity of fertilizers recommended by the Monsanto agent was
probably to artificially boost the yield for the first crops and convince
other farmers to switch to Bt corn," Greenpeace said.

For pest control, Greenpeace said a farmer who uses non-Bt hybrids and
OPVs and biological control methods like trichocards for protection from
corn borer may spend only for seeds if the trichocards are availed of for
free.

But if a charge of P1 per card is set, with the recommended 70 cards per
hectare by the Regional Crop Protection Center, a farmer will incur an
added cost of P 70 only for pest control instead of P2000 for pesticides,
it said.

"If the price of hybrid seed is pegged at P2,000 per bag, then the cost
will reach a maximum of P2,070. Therefore, the use of non-Bt varieties
with trichocards is still much cheaper than Bt corn seeds," the study said.

Ocampo said such findings make it clear from the beginning that planting
Bt corn comes at a huge premium that most farmers cannot recover from.

South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani and General Santos or the
Socsksargen area is currently considered by Monsanto as a primary
production area of Bt corn, which was placed at 4,700 hectares in January.

Mindanao's total Bt corn production area reportedly reached close to
7,000 hectares as of January, Monsanto cited.

Ronaldo Cayomo, Monsanto's corn lead for the area, earlier claimed that
the utilization of Bt corn in the Socsksargen area has been on an upward
trend supposedly due to the increased yield and income experienced by its
users.




--


GENET
European NGO Network on Genetic Engineering

Hartmut MEYER (Mr)
In den Steinäckern 13
D - 38116 Braunschweig
Germany

P: +49-531-5168746
F: +49-531-5168747
M: +49-162-1054755
E: coordination(*)genet-info.org
W: <http://www.genet-info.org>



-----------------------------
   GENET-news mailing list
-----------------------------