Buoyed Monsanto says cotton project continues

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)