Local farmers should be more pragmatic and adopt biotechnology since it promises not only higher crop yields but also reduced post-harvest losses, a biotechnology expert said.

In a recent press conference in Manila, Dr. Channapatha Prakash, biotechnology expert at Tuskgee University in India said Filipino farmers should take a more pragmatic outlook and not deny themselves the benefits of biotechnology currently enjoyed by their counterparts in 15 other countries such as the United States.

"The American farmers benefit from it, (so) there is no reason why Filipino farmers shouldn't also benefit from it,"he said.

Mr. Prakash said, in the Philippine context, local farmers can benefit from using biotechnology in three areas-increasing the yield of their harvest, reducing the amount of pesticides used and lastly reducing postharvest losses as most genetically-modified crops have longer shelf life.

"Almost 50% of vegetable and fruit produce is lost because we don't have the infrastructure for processing, for transportation or cold storage. Almost 50% of the produce is lost from the moment they are harvested to the moment they are consumed. Biotechnology reduces that," he said.

Local farmers can also save on pesticide expenses and at the same time cut down the estimated 30% to 40% production losses caused by plant diseases thereby increasing yield.

The International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications defines biotechnology as any technique that makes use of organisms to make or modify products, to improve plants or animals, or to develop microorganisms for specific purposes.

One of its tools is genetic engineering which allows scientists to develop hybrid plant species that can grow bigger, better and faster. This is done by inserting a gene known to control a particular trait, such as increased resistance to pest, into the cells of a plant.

For the farmers, this results in a dramatic increase in production and reduces the amount of chemicals and pesticides that needs to be applied.

On the issue of safety of the genetically modified crops, Mr. Prakash said consumers should be aware that these pass through safety tests before being released by their manufacturers.