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Biotechnology Could Help
Filipino Farmers Increase Yields and Reduce Pesticide Use
Farmers in the Philippines could
benefit from advances in plant biotechnology, according to Dr.
Channapatha Prakash of Tuskegee University. "The American
farmers benefit from it," he says. "There is no reason why
Filipino farmers shouldn't also benefit."
Prakash says that using biotechnology could help Filipino farmers
increase their yields and reduce their pesticide use. Some biotech
traits could also help lower post-harvest losses, since many genetically
modified crops have a longer shelf life.
"Almost 50% of vegetable and fruit produce is lost because we
[Filipinos] don't have the infrastructure for processing, for
transportation or cold storage," he says. "Biotechnology
reduces that."
Genetically enhanced crops could help Filipino farmers reduce the
estimated 30 to 40 percent losses that are caused by diseases in plants.
These advances could also help farmers lower their costs by
reducing the amount of pesticides they need to use on their crops.
"Local Farmers Urged to Adopt Biotechnology," BusinessWorld
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