SAN FRANCISCO - A Filipino farmer on Wednesday argued at a US news conference that genetically modified plants were helping to alleviate poverty and hunger in the Philippines and other developing nations by improving crop yields and cutting expenses through less use of pesticides.

Edwin Paraluman, a farmer from the Philippines who joined leading biotechnology proponent Olive Clive James on a conference call with reporters, said the planting of genetically engineered corn last year yielded him 40 percent more crop than usual.

"The benefits for the small farmer are great," Paraluman said.

Farmers in the Philippines grew nearly 100,000 hectares (250, 000 acres) of engineered corn in 2004, the second year altered crops were approved commercially there.

Farmers around the globe planting genetically engineered crops enjoyed another bumper harvest last year even as political and financial pressure mounted from skeptical consumers in Europe and pockets of the United States, according to a report released by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications.

The report was paid for by two philanthropic groups, including the Rockefeller Foundation.

Eight million farmers in 17 countries grew engineered crops on 80 million hectares (200 million acres) last year, a 20 percent increase over the 66.8 million hectares (167 million acres) in 2003, according to the report.

Corn, soy, canola and cotton accounted for nearly all commercially available biotech crops.

In 1996, the first year genetically modified crops were commercially available, about 1.72 million hectares (4.3 million acres) were under biotechnology cultivation.

New era of growth
"The technology is probably poised to enter a new era of growth," said James, founder and chair of International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications.

James estimated that the number of biotech crop acreage could double by 2010, spurred on by China's expected approval to grow genetically engineered rice as soon as this year.

The most popular biotechnology crops contain bacteria genes that make the plants resistant to either bugs or weed killers.

The three biggest biotech crop producers in 2004 were the United States, Argentina and Canada, where nearly all the countyr's canola is genetically engineered.

The other countries cultivating biotech crops were, in order of output - Brazil, China, Paraguay, India, South Africa, Uruguay, Australia, Romania, Mexico and Spain.

The 47.2 million hectares (118 million acres) grown in the Untied States in 2004 represents an 11-percent increase over 2003's 42.4 million hectares (106 million acres). Soy and corn were the dominant crops.

The continued growth of biotech crops and the group's rosy outlook for the technology comes amid often fierce resistance in Europe and in parts of the United States from consumers worried about how the crops may affect people's health and the environment.

The European Union ended a six-year moratorium on new genetically modified foods in May, despite widespread public concern about such products.

Still, consumer skepticism runs high in Europe and few - if any - biotech crops are expected to reach market there in the near future.

Earlier this year, biotechnology titan Monsanto Co of St. Louis announced it was shelving plans to commercialize genetically engineered wheat because of widespread public resistance.

In 2002, more than 20 percent of the total cotton planted worldwide was Bt cotton.

"The agreement between Philrice and CODA marks the start of our local testing and evaluation of the Chinese transgenic cotton hybrids. The DA biotech program facilitated the acquisition of the technology from China and this will be the first time to test it under local growing conditions. If found sage, we will go ahead," said Ilaga.