The Philippines
April 19, 2008
Source:
GMO Compass
In the Philippines, the variety of
grain known as “Golden Rice” has been subject to field trials
since the beginning of April. Genetically modified to contain
higher quantities of pro-vitamin A, this rice may be available
to farmers as early as 2011. Information on the status of its
field trials has been provided by Mr Gerard Barry, coordinator
of the
Golden Rice Network and staff member of the
International Rice Research
Institute (IRRI).
By nature, vitamin A is almost completely absent from rice.
Diseases caused by this deficiency are widespread in many Asian
countries in which the grain serves as a dietary staple. Through
the use of gene technology, researchers have developed a variety
of the plant that produces greater proportions of beta-carotene,
a compound which may be processed by the human body into vitamin
A. The rice also displays an enhanced iron content and, in the
grains, the presence of such enhanced levels of beta-carotene
results in a yellow tint that has prompted the name of “Golden
Rice”.
Original field trials with Golden Rice already took place in
Louisiana, USA, in 2004. The grain was crossed with other rice
types that were adapted to local conditions in developing
countries and which are to be distributed free of cost to small
farmers.
Globally, the Philippines is one of the most important importers
of rice. Representing six per cent of the national land area,
only 1.9 million hectares of irrigated fields are available for
local rice production. In comparison, Thailand and Vietnam
cultivate rice on 9.9 and 7.5 million hectares respectively,
representing nineteen and twenty-three per cent of their land
areas.
Genetically modified rice has played no role to date in the
production of nutrition. Nonetheless, in China, India and
Indonesia, as well as in the Philippines, its commercial
cultivation may be expected in the near future. |
|
