Spurring research the goal, papaya to be first
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has renewed its efforts
to lift a ban on field trials of genetically-modified (GM) crops that would
pave the way for commercial production of transgenic crops in the country.
The ministry would ask the coup-installed cabinet to revoke the 2001
cabinet resolution banning open-field GM crop experiments in the next two
weeks, said minister Thira Sutabutra yesterday.

He was speaking after discussing the matter with Science and
Technology Minister Yongyuth Yuthavong and Natural Resources and Environment
Minister Kasem Snidvongs.

The three ministers agreed that lifting the ban would help promote
research on GM crops in the country.

Transgenic plants must pass three levels of biosafety tests -
laboratory, greenhouse and open-field trials - before being endorsed for
mass production.

However, with the presence of the ban, experiments on GM crop are
allowed only at laboratory and greenhouse levels.

GM papaya would be the ministry's main focus because local papaya
producers had been severely affected by the papaya ring spot virus outbreak.
The problem could be solved by using a transgenic papaya strain that is
resistant to the virus, said Mr Thira.

''There's nothing to fear. [Field trials of GM crops] pose no risk to
the environment and people's health. Moreover, agencies involved will impose
stringent measures to prevent GMO contamination in the environment,'' he
said.

Adisak Sreesunpakit, director-general of the Agriculture Department,
which supervises GM crop experiments, said: ''Thailand's research and
development of GM crops has been frozen for six years so far. This makes us
lag behind other Asian countries, such as China, Indonesia and India,'' he
said.

''The department will go ahead with GM crop field trials as soon as
the cabinet agrees to lift the ban,'' he said, adding that GM papaya would
be the first crop to have open-field trials.

Field trials of non-edible crops, such as GM oil palm and orchids,
were also in the pipeline, he said.

But the ministry's pro-GM stance is not adopted by all agricultural
agencies.

Surapong Pransilapa, director-general of the Rice Department,
yesterday ruled out the possibility of using genetic-engineering technology
to develop Thai rice varieties and tackle rice diseases.

''Thai rice must be GM-free,'' he said. ''We have to make this clear
to some 150 countries which buy our rice. Otherwise, we may lose major rice
markets, particularly the European countries where consumers are against
GMOs,'' he said.

The Agriculture Department planned to use the technology to tackle
unsolved problems damaging other crops' yields, but for rice, it preferred
to use other conventional means, he said.

Mr Thira agreed rice should be excluded from the ministry's GM field
trial scheme.

Buntoon Srethasirote, a member of a sub-panel on bio-diversity and
intellectual property rights under the National Human Rights Commission,
voiced concern over the fresh bid to lift the ban.

The science and technology and the public health ministers had
recently expressed support for genetic engineering technology. This would
add momentum to the ministry's proposal to revoke the ban.

Moreover, he said, the coup-appointed government seems to lack
understanding about environmental issues, considering its previous decisions
that posed threats to the environment, such as signing a free-trade
agreement with Japan.

''Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont, meanwhile, has failed to
thoroughly consider the pros and cons of proposals made by each ministry. He
always allows them to make their decisions freely,'' he said.

He said field trials of GM crops should be banned, pending the
promulgation of biosafety laws to ensure the impact and possible damage
caused by them would be controlled.
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