The local subsidiary of one of the world's leading providers of agricultural products and technologies is set to unveil the key to the country's food security, specifically in the field of rice and corn productivity.

Monsanto Philippines Inc. will demonstrate the application of new technologies that will enable farmers to enormously increase the yields of those two important crops, which are the staple food for human and livestock consumption.

Increased production of rice and corn is the key to coping with the ever-rising demand of the country's fast growing population, now estimated at some 83 million.

Sufficiency in rice and corn will also enable the nation to reduce and ultimately eliminate their importation and thus save on precious dollars.

Monsanto will highlight how these will be achieved at the Agrilink and Foodlink 2003, the country's biggest and most prestigious international agribusiness and food trade show, which will be held at the World Trade Center Metro Manila from Oct. 16 to 18.

Monsanto's demonstration at Agrilink/Foodlink 2003 is part of is program to reach out to its local market of over 1 million rice farmers and more than 200,000 corn farmers in 59 provinces in the Philippines. Nationwide, some 3.3 million hectares of land are planted to rice, and 2.5 million hectares to corn.

Among the technologies to be highlighted are Monsanto's Conservation Tillage technology, known as the Tipid-Saka program, which helps conserve soil moisture, prevents topsoil erosion, enhances soil fertility, improves water availability to plants, averts early emergence of weeds, lessens pesticide application, cuts land preparation by half, and minimizes labor cost while maximizing potential yields. 

Monsanto will also focus on Magilas 500 Hybrid Rice seed product, which is highly resistant to both the stem borer and the fungo virus. The rice variety is now an important element of the government's food sufficiency program.

Monsanto also has herbicide products of cutting-edge technology such as Advance; Direk, Rogue, and Machete for affective control of weeds in rice, and Power and Round-up for general weed control.

Likewise, Monsanto has introduced YieldGard, the revolutionary Asian corn borer-protected corn made possible through modern technology. This variety can resist the catastrophic effect of the borer that can diminish yield by 20 to 80 percent.

YieldGard was recently approved for domestic propagation by the government.

Such products of Monsanto's biotechnology include Roundup Ready Corn, Canola and Soybeans, which are herbicides resistant and limit the use if chemicals that are considered harmful to the environment.

These are some of Monsanto's many contribution to sustainable development and exemplary corporate citizenship, which will be highlighted in Agrilink/Foodlink 2003 and aptly showcased by its theme "Corporate Citizenship: Touching Lives, Strengthening Linkages."

"Our trade show will go beyond the normal commercial objectives of business by highlighting corporate citizenship that touches lives and strengthens linkages," said Rosalino Perez, project director of Agrilink and Foodlink 2003.

Supported by more than 30 industry associations, Agrilink and Foodlink have been attracting exhibitors from the Philippines, Asia, Europe, Middle East, North America, and the rest of the world.

Its number of visitors surged from 3,000 in 1995 to 18,000 last year, while booked and negotiated sales from P27.8 million to P78 million.