Golden Rice has moved a step forward toward full commercialization in the country after it successfully hurdled varietal registration with the National Seed Industry Council (NSIC).
Philippine Rice Research Institute Healthier Rice project leader Dr. Reynante Ordonio said Golden Rice has been successfully registered with the NSIC on Thursday, April 7.
“Meaning, this [variety] is now fully recognized by the Bureau of Plant Industry. If ever farmers plant this variety, they can now apply for crop insurance. They are now of the same level as other [rice] varieties,” Ordonio said in a virtual roundtable discussion organized by the United States Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service in Manila, US Embassy Dhaka and Farming Future Bangladesh.
Ordonio said the Golden Rice would now have to pass the seed certification by the National Seed Quality Control Services (NSQCS) to be able to kick-start the pilot deployment of the genetically modified crop in seven provinces nationwide.
Ordonio explained they are targeting the pilot deployment of the Golden Rice in provinces with “high incidence of malnutrition and stunting,” which includes Quirino and Catanduanes in Luzon, Samar and Antique in Visayas, Lanao del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Maguindanao in Mindanao. He added that a total of 9 hectares would be covered by the pilot deployment.
However, Ordonio said there would be no pilot deployment sans the seed certification by the NSQCS.
“Before we go to the actual deployment, the next phase is seed certification, which is under the purview of the NSQCS. There would be no commercial selling yet [of Golden Rice]. It would be the PhilRice that will produce the nucleus seeds,” he said.
“[The timetable] would depend on the NSQCS if it will allow us to have the certification so that the planting can be done by the wet season. Hopefully, by the wet season we can proceed with the planting,” he added.
The final varietal name approved by NSIC for Golden Rice is NSIC 2022 Rc G70GR2E with a nickname of Malusog 1.
In July of last year, Golden Rice was approved for commercial planting after the government issued the biosafety permit for commercial propagation for the crop.
The biosafety permit said the Golden Rice has undergone “satisfactory biosafety assessment” pursuant to the Joint Department Circular (JDC) 1, Series of 2016 issued by the Departments of Science, Agriculture, Environment, Health, and the Interior and Local Government.
The Philippines became the first country to issue a commercialization permit for Golden Rice. PhilRice has earlier explained that the Golden Rice followed the standard process of rice breeding that usually takes 10 to 12 years before a new variety reaches the consumers. Proponents of the Golden Rice emphasize that the genetically modified crop is one of the measures to combat vitamin A deficiency in the country.
The approval for commercialization of Golden Rice last year met numerous opposition from various industry groups, such as Greenpeace Philippines and Rice Watch Action Network Inc. The groups argued that there was a lack of transparency regarding risk assessment results of golden rice. (Related story: https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/26/group-urges-da-to-stop-commercial-propagation-of-vitamin-a-rich-rice/ and https://businessmirror.com.ph/2021/07/29/groups-sustain-opposition-to-local-propagation-of-golden-rice-variety/)