Buoyed Monsanto says cotton project continues

JAKARTA (JP): Buoyed by impressive initial results of its project in Indonesia, the local unit of Monsanto announced on Wednesday that it is continuing with controversial transgenic cotton farming in South Sulawesi.

Hans Bijlmer, country director of the St. Louis-based transgenic-seed giant, said the company was forging ahead with the project, confident of continued government support.

"The Minister of Agriculture (Bungaran Saragih), in a meeting with cotton farmers in Bulukumba and Bantaeng, promised to extend the license for transgenic cotton. And I think he will," Bijlmer told The Jakarta Post after briefing the media on the initial results of the South Sulawesi cotton project.

The ministry ignored protests in February by some non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and issued a license allowing limited release of the genetically modified cotton known as Bt Cotton or Bollgard, imported from South Africa, in the province.

The NGOs opposed the commercial application of genetic technology saying that,despite promises of better yields, the full impact on human lives and the environment was not yet known.

PT Monagro Kimia, the Indonesian unit of Monsanto, said in a statement that yields in its genetically enhanced cotton plantation reached 1.5 tons to three tons per hectare, or three times to four times higher than conventional varieties.

It said commercial planting of the Bollgard cotton was the first in the tropics, and the average results were better or matched those achieved by small-holders in South Africa and China.

Biljmer's optimism came despite South Sulawesi Governor HZB Palaguna's remarks on Wednesday that the project might be terminated after the burning of four hectares of transgenic cotton plantations in Bulukumba regency, apparently by farmers involved in the project.

Biljmer accused NGOs opposed to transgenic crops as being behind the incident.

"We suspect that NGOs were behind it. It's like the demonstrations, they are not spontaneous but organized," he said, without mentioning any specific NGO by name.

Monagro Kimia currently manages transgenic-cotton farms in seven regencies in South Sulawesi: Takalar, Gowa, Bantaeng, Bulukumba, Bone, Soppeng and Wajo, covering a total area of 4,363 hectares, involving 6,500 farmers.

The National Consortium for Nature and Forest Conservation, which is leading a coalition of 72 NGOs opposing the commercial introduction of transgenic technology, challenged Bijlmer to prove his accusation.

Executive director Tejo Wahyu Jatmika said the attack by local farmers reflected their discontent that the project had not improved their condition.

"It proves that PT Monagro Kimia only gave false promises," Tejo said.

Monagro fabricated the accusation to divert public attention from the real problem: the project was a failure, he said.

Tejo also questioned the Minister of Agriculture's promise to extend the license on transgenic plantation before a review.

"The review will not take place until Oct. 8. How could the minister have given the green light?" he asked. (07)