The news that the government had allowed the open field trials of the GM
Crops upset many people . not only farmers vallop Pitchpongsa, an organic produce exporter said that he opposes any move to allow open field trials of GM
Croposes because it would affect
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His business
Some Importers require us to prove that our products are totally free GMOs with out any contaminatiom this will be trouble for our business and incrcast costs for verifi
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Cation and labeling ‘ he said
Vallop said some individual companies have already been asked to prove that their products have not been contaminated. He wondered why the government want to jump onto a train that ‘s leading Thailand
The GMO products are only welcome in a small number of (international) markest not like conventional or organic products. If’s dangerous to decide to allow the open field trial , it will only lead us to unknow placese
Said vallop .
He says there are better agricultural methods for thai people to choose from such as organic and natural farming ‘I think that we won’t be left out if we do not develop GMOs ’ he added.
THE DEBATE GOES ON…
According to the 1964 plant and quarantine act, the cultivation of transgenic crops must be fully controlled by the state. in addition, a which prohibits open field trials . many officials involved in promotion of GMOs have defended the position that there has been no spread of GMOs outside of closely monitored experimental fields. But finally last week agricure minister somsak thepsuthin admitted that GM papaya grown in khon kaen has contaminated local plantations.
Moreover GM crops have already entered the food chain in Thailand . for example ,green peace’s research unit found that many food products sold in Thailand are being contaminated with GM substances. According to united
Stated department of agriculture records, the US and argentina exported a combined total os 1,476,119 tonnes of soybean oilseed and 1,199,910 tonnes of soybean mealto Thailand in 2003. Both countries are heavily invested in GMO technology. Thai people may consume GM substances directly or indirectly . as they are often used as ingredients in animal feed
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In the flurry of public debate over the past few weeks, some officials and proponents of GMOs said those who are against them are the sort who would believe that the earth is flat thai society has been inundated with the idea that we will be left out if we do not develop our own GMO crops.
The companies and state officials that promote the biotechnology often say that GMOs will bring major benefits to farmers in Thailand they say that they GMOs can be grown in saline and poor soil and resist drought.
Agriculture minister somsak has defended GMOs on many television programmes and in parliament , where he said that Thailand can be a great power in Agriculture if experiment with GMOs and other countries do not, on the other hand , he said, if other countries do it and Thailand dose not, we will be at a disadvantage
DR.Sakarindr Bhumiratana the dircctor of the national centre for genetic engineering and biotechnology . who has also recently appeared on many forums , defended experiment in Thailand in his testimony by saying that there are many countries which have already been engaging in GMO research he downplyed fears of genc iumping phenomenon in which genes introduced into GM crops turn up in the genomes of ofher plants growing nearly . he said the controversial papaya field trial was agreed, saying that the fields are well fenced and there are security guards to protect the fields. This was of course , before had occurred.
On a televised debate in which DR. Sakarindr participared, Democrat party MP khuning DR. kallaya Sophonpanich
Questioultural whether barbed station in khonkaen would protect them from GMOs papaya pollen drifting to nearby fields