The Department of Agriculture, through the Biotechnology Program Office, yesterday urged local investors to avail themselves of commercially-viable agricultural products made possible through the breakthroughs of biotechnology, a DA press release said.

Alicia Ilaga, outgoing director of the DA-BPO told participants of an investment forum Tuesday that a high-yielding hybrid abaca that is resistant to the dreaded bunchy-top virus with good fiber quality are just among the agri-biotech products that are ready to be tapped by the private sector for commercial production.

The high-yielding hybrid abaca variety that is resistant to the abaca bunchy-top virus was developed by the Crop Science Cluster-Institute of Plant Breeding at the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

Funded by the DA BPO, the technology addresses bunchy-top virus, a major disease which accounts for 3 to 77 percent yield loss in abaca.

The technology also assures up to 300 percent increase in fiber yield from the current 600 kgs/hectare and will reduce chemical usage for pest control, thus employing an ecologically safe and sound farming system, the DA said.

Another publicly-funded agri-biotech product, the Makapuno Embryo Culture Technology offers investors a simpler, faster and low-cost embryo culture production technology.

Dubbed “Ok ang Kabuhayan sa Biotech!”, the forum which is one of the highlights of the 2009 National Biotechnology Week celebrations held at the Nido Fortified Science Discovery Center of the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, aims to promote these products which she said holds enormous promise for improving the productivity and environmental sustainability for food, feed, fiber, fuel biofuels, and animal production.

Aside from the virus-resistant abaca and makapuno, technology developers also offered investment in the commercial cultivation and production of the first-of-its-kind synthetic coconut variety, called San Ramon synthetic coconut variety.

Developed by the Philippine Coconut Authority, the PCA SYN VAR 001 was recognized as the first in the world.

The Orgullo Tall – SV Ramon technology is being eyed as a key strategy in the mass propagation of improved planting materials for the National Coconut Planting and Replanting Program through partnership with the private sector.

Biotech tools such as tissue and embryo culture as well as molecular markers were utilized in the development of these technologies, Ilaga said in the press release.

“These publicly-generated technologies are now promoted for commercial adoption. As an intervention, the DA Biotech Program intends to support in bridging the gap towards full technology commercialization through the conduct of an investor's forum,” Ilaga said.

She added that the DA-BPO hopes to develop the capacity of the public sector in gearing up results of R&D for commercial adoption by helping them develop the business aspect of the technologies to make it more attractive for investment purposes.

The aim is also to continue to develop an enabling culture wherein public research institutions are encouraged to commercialize the results of their scientific exploration.

To provide a venue where technology innovators and adopters meet to ensure that future R&D agenda respond to the demands of the industry, and open the gates of collaboration between the public and the private sectors to fast-track technology and or product commercialization, are also among the objectives.*

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