Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Pests attack genetically modified cotton

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Aozotorp AT aol.com
  • To: market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu
  • Subject: Pests attack genetically modified cotton
  • Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2001 14:02:47 EDT


http://hoovnews.hoovers.com/fp.asp?layout=displaynews&doc_id=NR20010629140.5_d

8c9000b6dbbf5a2

Pests attack genetically modified cotton

June 29, 2001 10:04am


BC-PESTS-ATTACK, sked,0499

Pests attack genetically modified cotton, JAKARTA POST

xfdws PESTS-ATTACK sked Emerging Markets Datafile

June 29, 2001

JAKARTA POST

INDONESIA

ENGLISH

Pests attack genetically modified cotton, JAKARTA POST

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): Hundreds of hectares of the genetically
modified cotton fields at three villages in the regency of Bulukumba, South
Sulawesi, have been destroyed by pests identified as Helicoverpa armigera and
Spodoptera.

However, officials dealing with the genetically modified cotton business said
separately that there was nothing to worry about.

Tri Soekirman, Corp. Communications manager of Monsanto, the supplier of the
genetically modified cotton from South Africa, said here on Thursday that the
pests were not dangerous.

They are just larva which eat the leaves, but will not disrupt cotton
production, Tri told The Jakarta Post.

He said that based on a survey made by his team, the population of the pests
wbs still tolerable. Therefore, pesticide is not necessary to eliminate them.
The farmers know how to handle them.

On Wednesday in Bulukumba, the leader of the genetically modified cotton
monitoring team, Ibrahim Manwa, voiced similar optimism that the pest
population is still at tolerable levels.

He said 40 trees had been taken as samples from Balleanging village in
Bulukumba. Out of the 40 trees, less than seven were attacked by the pests.
This means that the population of the pests is still very low, he said,
showing dried cotton leaves which had been destroyed by Spodoptera.

Ibrahim was in Bulukumba with the deputy head of the South Sulawesi
Agriculture Office, Karya.

The controversy over genetically modified cotton started in early May this
year when a total of 40 tons of Bollgard cotton seed belonging to U.S.-based
Monsanto was imported by Jakarta-based PT Monagro Kimia.

A number of activists have said that genetically modified products must be
prohibited from directly entering the province, and demanded that such seeds
be quarantined for detailed examination before being distributed to the
farmers.

It was Minister of Agriculture Bungaran Saragih who recommended the
importation of the seed and its distribution to seven regencies in South
Sulawesi.

State Minister for the Environment Sonny Keraf criticized the decision.

In Bulukumba regency alone, the genetically modified cotton was planted on a
total of 1,571.75 hectares, managed by 80 farmers' groups consisting of 2,003
families.

At least 180 hectares of the cotton fields in the village of Balleanging,
Ujungloe district, have been invaded by the pests.

Local farmers said that the pests started attacking the cotton in mid-June.

Many farmers have complained about the pests. They said the supplier had
claimed that the cotton variety was resistant to all kinds of pests. CJAKARTA
POST



  • Pests attack genetically modified cotton, Aozotorp, 06/29/2001

Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page