This paper is relevant to the impact areas in the following areas:
| Crops | Cotton, Papaya |
| Traits | Insect Resistance, Virus Resistance |
| Countries | Thailand |
| Regions | Asia |
| Tags | economics, papaya, review, Thailand |
This study has reported preliminary benefit estimates for two important crops: Bt cotton and GM papaya. Both crops have been severely affected by pest problems in the past 15 years. The cotton industry has nearly disappeared in Thailand, in great part due to the difficulty in controlling cotton bollworm. Similarly, papaya production has fallen to less than one-third of what it was at its peak. Adapted ransgenic varieties of both of these crops have been developed, suggesting that seeds could be made available to farmers within a relatively short time after field trials are permitted to resume. Based on discussions with farmers, we believe that they are willing to adopt GM varieties once they are commercially available.
GM crops have already provided large economic benefits in several countries of the world, and hold great promise for delivering large benefits in Thailand once biosafety protocols are established. If Thailand is able to return its cotton and papaya industries to the size they had a decade ago, and if GM varieties are successful, Thailand stands to reap large economic benefits.
Based on our analysis:
Bt Cotton; Resistant to Bollworm Insect and Leaf Roll Virus Disease:
• Improves yield by 55%
• Saves 50% pesticide cost or 18% of production cost
• Increases seed cost by 9% of total production cost
• Takes 3-years for adoption, and an additional 10-years to reach 80% adoption
• If cotton production area remains at current level of 11,200 hectares (70,000 rai),
• Thailand would benefit by US$11.5 million (400 million baht)
• If cotton production area returns to peak level as during the 1990Â’s, at 68,400 hectares (427,500 rai), Thailand would benefit by US$43 million (1.5 billion baht)<br>
Khaek Dum Papaya; Resistant to Ring Spot Virus:
• Improves yield by 471%
• No perceptible cost benefit
• Takes 3-years for adoption, and an additional 10-years to reach 80% adoption
• If papaya production area remains at current level of 17,862 hectares (111,638 rai),Thailand would benefit by US$680 million (24 billion baht)
• If papaya production area returns to peak level as between 1997-2001, at 26,103 hectares (163,142 rai), Thailand would benefit by US$880 million (30 billion baht)
The Study of Agricultural Biotechnology Benefits in Thailand (held on an external server, and so may require additional authentication details)
CropLife International fully acknowledges the source and authors of the publication as detailed above.