CropLife Pakistan has warned that if the commercialisation licences for genetically modified (GM) maize are not renewed, the country will fall further behind in agricultural innovation, with investment moving to other nations. The real losers, according to the organisation, will be Pakistan's farmers, who will be deprived of urgently needed technology that can improve productivity, income and livelihoods.
Clear Basis for GM Crop Commercialisation
Rashid Ahmed, Executive Director of CropLife Pakistan, stated that the approval of the National Agricultural Biotechnology Policy provides a clear basis to move forward with GM crop commercialisation, including yellow maize as an immediate-release crop. He recalled that Pakistan started regulatory trials for GM maize in 2009, when only the Philippines had adopted GM maize in Asia. Since then, countries such as China, Indonesia and Vietnam have moved forward, while Pakistan is still waiting to commercialise the technology.
Addressing Contamination Concerns
Responding to concerns about contamination risk, Ahmed explained that the majority of maize grain in Pakistan is used by the poultry and animal feed industries, which already utilise imported GM soybean and GM canola as feed ingredients. Therefore, far from posing any new risk, GM maize grain production will enter a feed market that is already familiar with, and reliant on, GM products. He stressed that maize seed producers in Pakistan already follow isolation-distance and quality-control protocols to maintain seed purity, and similar stewardship measures can be applied for the responsible adoption of GM maize hybrids.
Economic Impact of Maize Exports
Pakistan earns around $350-400 million annually from maize exports, including grain, forage and fodder. This export value can increase if farmers adopt better maize technologies, including GM maize hybrids, that improve crop quality and production. Referring to the local wet millers' role in maize exports, Ahmed claimed they contribute only less than 9% of Pakistan's total maize exports, while the remaining export share comes from other market players.
Myths About the European Union
Dismissing a common myth that the European Union is non-GM, Ahmed called it totally misleading, stating that the EU is the second-largest importer of GM grain for food, feed and processing.
Biosafety Work and Verified Data
The CropLife executive director also expressed concern over recent claims regarding biosafety work on GM maize. Some CropLife member companies were granted licences to begin GM maize trials in 2009, following which multi-year trials for insect protection and herbicide tolerance were conducted in different regions with approvals from the technical advisory committee and the National Biosafety Committee under the Pakistan Biosafety Rules and Guidelines 2005. He urged all stakeholders to rely on verified data and factual evidence.
