The Agriculture Department is planning to invest in genome editing (GE) technology for economic crops, including rice, palm and sugar cane, as an effort to make Thailand a regional GE seed hub, according to Director-General Rapeepat Chantarasriwong.
Mr Rapeepat said that to answer to the rising global demand for GE crops, the department has worked with partners, including experts from the academic and private sectors in GE technology, which has already been adopted in many countries such as China, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States.
He said the department is also conducting research and development on the GE technology with experts from America providing training courses and know-how. The move is expected to enhance Thailand's capacity as a regional hub of agricultural seeds, he said.
GE technology will be introduced to rice, sugar cane, orchids, palm, papaya and cassava to make them more resistant to diseases and problematic soil conditions while enhancing their quality and production.
"The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations [FAO] and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] have agreed that GE is safer than GMO," Mr Rapeepat said.
"Many countries are moving very fast to develop the technology for cash crops. And we would do so by closely working with both local and international partners to increase income for Thai farmers," he said.
Last year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives approved the use of GE technology to increase food stability and reduce chemical and pesticide use.
He said GE technology is safer than genetically modified organisms (GMOs) because it does not introduce any alien genes from different organisms to the plant but precisely manipulates the plant's own genome to enhance or deter specific characteristics without introducing foreign DNA.
He said more progress in the department's venture on GE crops is expected this year, including various field experiments. If successful, it will help to reduce imports such as soybean and maize, he said.