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[SANET-MG] field testin GM papaya



The article below is  a disturbing comment on GM pollution from test
plots. Seed may have been sold  or given away by those associated with
the tests. However,  the literature indicates that  at least 17 species
of insects and hummingbirds as well pollinate papaya and such
pollinators may travel far. Once a plant flowers in the test plot
pollinators can immediately pollute the papaya seed for a large area
around the test site, I  believe .Frankly, there seems to be a strategy
of GM crop introduction by accident!
Agence France Presse -- English
September 16, 2004
GM papaya contamination in Thailand widespread: critics
BANGKOK

Thailand's experiments with genetically-modified papaya have contaminated
fruit in at least 10 provinces because of a tainted seed selling scandal,
critics said in a report published Thursday.

The government halted trials at three testing centres on Wednesday after
tainted fruit was found at a non-GM farm, blamed on seeds sold by a nearby
state-run GM experimental farm in the country's northeast.

Environmentalists warned for months that loose controls at the test centre
at Khon Kaen could contaminate farms with potential environmental and health
effects.

Rights activists said Thursday that the contamination was much wider spread
than stated by the government and accused officials of acting too slowly to
stem the problems and covering up information about research work.

"It is likely contamination has occurred beyond Khon Kaen province because
the (Agriculture) department has distributed papaya seeds and seedlings to
more than 2,600 farmers nationwide," Thailand's human rights commission
chairman Professor Saneh Chamrik was quoted as saying in the Bangkok Post
newspaper.

The Thai government has said that GM work can only be continued in
laboratories but has stopped short of abandoning their entire GM research
programme.

The project, a joint programme between the Thais and a team from Cornell
University in the US, was designed to develop papaya resistant to the
ringspot virus. It was due to finish next year.

But the programme met with fierce criticisms from environmentalists who
accused the government with pushing ahead with tests before enough research
was done on the potential effects of GM crops.

Thai law forbids the public sale of GM seeds and requires products
containing more than five percent of a genetically modified ingredient to be
labelled. The Thai government said prosecutions could follow over the sale
of GM seeds to farmers.

The United States is the world's biggest GM producer but has struggled to
persuade other nations to accept the products.

However in Asia, the Philippines and China already have huge plantations
producing GM crops such as corn and cotton.

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