1. India plans to tap $13 billion global organic food market
2.Monsanto keen to ease Thai GM worries
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1. India plans to tap $13 billion global organic food market
The Indian Express
24th January 2001
NEW DELHI: A National Programme for Organic Production [NPOP] has been launched to realise the vast potential in organic agriculture with an eye on the $13 billion global market for organic food and beverages [OFB].
"With an increased emphasis on sanitary and phytosanitary measures under WTO regime, and an estimated US$13 billion global market for OFB, government has launched an NPOP and established a national steering committee to monitor it," official sources told PTI.
They said the committee at the level of the commerce secretary would link producers to the export markets, enhance market access and price premia and assist resource poor farmers with little access to external resources.
With heightened awareness on health and environmental issues in developed nations, retail sales of OFB worldwide were projected to grow at five to ten per cent in next five years. NPOP intended to tap India's inherent advantage in the sphere due to a strong tradition of organic farming by further restricting use of chemical inputs.
NPOP would target among others USA and Germany, the world's two largest markets for OFB with a volume of 4.2 billion and 1.2 billion respectively.
Official sources said, the NPOP would set standards for OFB production and suitably revise them from time to time in keeping with changing global situation.
They said there were more than 100 regional and national standards and a product had to conform to the standards applicable in the market it seeks to enter. PTI.
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2. Monsanto keen to ease Thai GM worries
[mention here of 'Monsanto`s 700-million-baht factory' is interesting given the naked economic threats recently made to Argentina by the company in the event of their not speeding up Monsanto's GM crops acceptance ie they'd close factories. Certainly in Argentina there was no indication that Monsanto's approach was, as claimed here, one of being ready to follow instructions! On the Argentina threats see: http://members.tripod.com/~ngin/245.htm On how Monsanto and Novartis threatened the Republic of Ireland see: http://www.xs4all.nl/~ceo/observer1/blackmail.html] Bangkok Post Phusadee Arunmas Sunday -- January 21, 2001 http://www.agbios.com/_NewsItem.asp?parm=neIDXCode&data=1470
Monsanto (Thailand) Co will step up efforts this year to allay concerns about genetically modified products.
The unit of the American agriculture and biotechnology giant Monsanto is waiting for the Thai government to decide whether a transgenic strain of cotton developed by the company can be sold locally.
Sanya Bhummichitra, the Thailand country manager for Monsanto, said that more information would be made available to non-government organisations about the safety of modified crops.
Monsanto is monitoring a second experimental plantation of its BT (bacillus thuriengiensis) modified cotton on 1,000 rai in the Northeast.
Mr Sanya said he was confident the results of the experiment, which were expected by March or April, would show there was no risk to crop planters.
``Whether the experiment is to be carried on for another year depends on the government. We`re ready to follow its instructions,`` he said.
Monsanto operates three main business lines in Thailand: chemical products, seeds and biotechnology.
Its sales this year are expected to total 1.5 billion baht, 10% more than last year, with half derived from seeds, 30% from herbicide and pesticide under the Round Up brand, and 20% from other chemical products.
Monsanto`s 700-million-baht factory in Phitsanulok has a daily capacity to produce about 150 tons of hybrid corn seeds for the animal-feed industry.
About 10,000 farmers plant corn from which the company selects high-quality seed for further planting. The factory is Monsanto`s base for supplying seeds to its operations elsewhere in Asia, with Indonesia and the Philippines each taking about 20% of the Thai-grown seed.
Mr Sanya said Monsanto was the second biggest supplier of seed in Thailand, behind the CP Group, which controls about half of the market.
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