Farm product rights to be duscussed<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Asian and Pacific seed producers plan to meet to
\nseek ways of gaining access to genetically-engineered products,
\nwhich are protected by intellectual property rights despite their
\ngerm plasma originating in Asia, an official says.<\/p>\n
Minister of Agriculture Sjarifudin Baharsjah said yesterday
\nthat the issue will be among the topics discussed in the three-
\nday \"Asia Seed '96\" conference scheduled from Sept. 25 to Sept.
\n27 at the Sahid Jaya Hotel.<\/p>\n
The conference will be held by the Asia and Pacific Seed
\nAssociation, with support from the United Nations Food and
\nAgriculture Organization, in collaboration with the Seed
\nAssociation of Indonesia and the Ministry of Agriculture.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin said that during the conference, seed producers,
\nbreeders, researchers and related private and government
\nenterprises will discuss the problems faced when seeking access
\nto \"trans-genic\" plants and animals produced by the genetic
\nengineering of germ plasma originating from Asia.<\/p>\n
\"Since the trans-genic products are protected by intellectual
\nproperty rights, it is difficult for us to use them,\" Sjarifudin
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"We have to be careful in dealing with the issue of trans-
\ngenic entities because what we are faced with are plants, animals
\nand even fertilizers that have never existed before,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin said the conference may come up with a protocol on
\nthe importation of trans-genetic entities and the safety and
\nethical aspects of genetic engineering.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, he said, has so far issued its own governmental
\ndecree overseeing the development of biotechnology in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
Apart from the issue of intellectual property rights, the
\nconference will also discuss the transfer of technology,
\npossibilities of cooperating with other members of the Asia-
\nPacific Seed Association and access to various international
\nseed-research centers.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin said that it will be difficult for Indonesia to
\ndevelop its seed industry because the country lacks a sound seed
\nmarket.<\/p>\n
Investors, he said, are also reluctant to enter the industry
\nbecause of the high interest rates imposed by the banking sector.<\/p>\n
But problems also occur at the downstream level, he said, as
\nfarmers are reluctant to use the seeds if they don't have a
\nmarket for their products.<\/p>\n
\"The only way out is to create a market,\" Sjarifudin said.<\/p>\n
Citing the hybrid-corn industry as an example, he said
\npartnerships between seed producers, farmers and poultry feed-
\nproducers provide a sound market for all.<\/p>\n
Farmers who are guaranteed a sound market by feed-
\nmanufacturing factories will in turn create a market for
\nproducers of hybrid-corn seeds, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Such partnership programs need to be implemented to develop
\nother commodities such as horticulture... So it's not always a
\nproblem of poor technology, it can also be caused by the
\nunavailability of a market,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sjarifudin said that problems in the seed industry have
\nadversely affected the efficiency and productivity of the
\ncountry's agricultural sector.<\/p>\n
The seed industry, he added, has a crucial role to determine
\nif Indonesia is capable of entering the highly competitive global
\nmarket, which demands not only high production efficiency but
\nalso high-quality, uniform products. (pwn)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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