A world-renowned Filipino banana expert is strongly against the testing in the Philippines of a GMO banana variety developed in a university in Australia, believing it will have a negative impact on the reputation of the Philippine banana in the export market.
A world-renowned Filipino banana expert is strongly against the testing in the Philippines of a GMO banana variety developed in a university in Australia, believing it will have a negative impact on the reputation of the Philippine banana in the export market.
He is Dr. Agustin Molina Jr. who has expressed grave concern about some government officials and business groups in Mindanao who are gullibly excited in supporting the testing of a GMO banana in Davao as reported in a local paper. This was after Dr. James Dale of the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) visited the Philippines offering his GMO variety for testing in Davao. The idea is that the GMO banana will help solve the problem of the virulent Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4) that has infected plantations in Davao in the past several years.
Dr. Molina is against the introduction of the GMO banana in the Philippines even if it is only for testing because it will somehow “stain” the image of Philippine bananas for export. The current markets like Japan, Korea and others are not receptive to GMO bananas. He added that Ecuadorian Cavendish bananas that are now getting a five percent share of the Japanese market may eventually get the luxurious Asian markets if our bananas are tainted with a GMO reputation.
See full article at Manila Bulletin