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Experts advise the Thai government to accept more biotech crops, or else the
Kingdom's competitiveness in the farm sector will drop 5 per cent each year,
February 2007
by Petchanet Pratruangkrai.

At a press briefing at the Royal Sports Club yesterday, both Thai and
foreign experts in biotechnology shared the same ideas that to adopt biotech
crops will increase the country's economic growth. In addition, this will
also reduce environment problems in the long run.

Despite strong controversy, the demand for biotech crops or genetically
modified organism (GMO) plants have risen in many countries during the past
10 years.

Dr Clive James, chairman of the International Service for the Acquisition of
Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), said Thailand should consider allowing
the cultivation of GMO crops not only to strengthen economic growth but also
solve environment problems.

"Thailand will lose competitive advantage to export rivals who have already
adopted GMO plants," James said, adding that world economic powerhouses like
China and the US and fast-growing economies like India and the Philippines
wre growing engineered crops.

Vietnam is considering introducing biotech crops soon, said James.

So far, 22 countries have adopted biotech technology to increase production.
It is expected that the number of nations that will accept more GMOs will
increase to 40 in 2015.

Last year, there were 102 million hectares world-wide growing biotech crops
and this figure is forecast to reach 200 million in 2015.

James clarified that biotech crops would not only help improve productivity
and income for farmers, but also reduce environmental impact and give more
social benefits. According to ISAAA research, biotech crops will jump yields
by 50 per cent compared with 5 per cent for general crops. From 1996 to
2005, biotech crops contributed more than US$27 billion (Bt863 billion) to
the global economy.

Asked about the side-effects of biotech, James said there should be no
disadvantageous impacts after more than 10 years of planting GMO crops in
many countries.

He also pointed out that Thailand has imported GMO soybeans and maize for
domestic consumption since 1996, without any side-effects until now.

Moreover, he said Thailand would gain the benefit of becoming an alternative
fuel supplier if the country adopts biotech crops, for instance, for cassava
plantations.

Thailand has the capability to be the leader in GMO cotton and papaya and to
grow both plants commercially. The research has been conducted but the
country has yet to transfer the knowledge to farmers.

Dr Sutat Sriwatanapongse, president of the Biotechnology Alliance
Association, urged the Thai government to allow field tests in the country.
Permission will also allow Thailand to study more about the advantages and
disadvantages of biotech crops.

The government should make quick decisions and give farmers the choice of
GMO plants, he said. Thai researchers can produce GMO seeds and the country
does not need to import them, he said.

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