Required Report - public distribution

**Date:** 7/28/2005

**GAIN Report Number:** BM5018

BM5018

**Burma**

**Biotechnology**

**Agricultural Biotechnology**

**2005**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Russ Nicely, Acting Agricultural Counselor

U.S. Embassy, Bangkok

**Prepared by:**

Daphne Khin Swe Swe Aye, Agricultural Specialist

**Report Highlights:**

Burma at present does not have a national policy on biosafety and is in
the process of formulating one with assistance from the U.N. It does
participate in the Framework Agreement on Biosafety in ASEAN and has
agreed to implement Protocol 8 on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures to
implement the ASEAN framework agreement on the facilitation of goods in
transit.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Bangkok \[TH1\]

\[BM\]

**SECTION I: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 3**

**SECTION II: BIOTECHNOLOGY TRADE AND PRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . 4**

**SECTION III: BIOTECHNOLOGY POLICY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . 5**

**SECTION IV: MARKETING ISSUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7**

# SECTION V: CAPACITY BUILDING AND OUTREACH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

**SECTION VI: REFERENCE MATERIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . 7**

# 

**SECTION I: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY**

Burma at the present moment does not yet have a National Policy on
Biosafety. It is in the process of formulating a National development
policy and setting priorities, to include biotechnology. Burma has
participated in the formulation of the Framework Agreement on Biosafety
in ASEAN and has agreed to implement Protocol 8 on Sanitary and
Phytosanitary measures to implement the ASEAN Framework Agreement on the
Facilitation of Goods in Transit. However, there are some laws existent,
such as the Pesticide Law, the Plant Pest Quarantine Law, and the Animal
Health and Development Law, which are more or less related to biosafety
issues.

Burma does not have regulatory controls on the imports of GM food or
food products. There is no infrastructure set up to regulate the
commercialization of GM food. Thus, it is very possible that Burma has
animal feeds, foods, and food ingredients, such as soybean and corn,
which were derived from genetic engineering. There is no information
available on the plantation of GM crops in Burma, but it is possible
that seeds obtained from neighboring countries, particularly China and
India, may be GM seeds.

Burma has not developed any institutional framework or biosafety policy,
guidelines or regulations, and also has not developed any mechanisms to
prohibit the commercial sale of food if GM in origin.

The project to formulate a National Biosafety law was funded by the
United Nations Environment Program and Global Environment facility in
2004 and will terminate in November 2005. This National biosafety
framework is to be formulated in accordance with the relevant provisions
of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. The main elements to be included
will be a regulatory system, an administrative system, a decision-making
system that includes risk assessment and management, and a mechanism for
public participation and information. The formulation of the Burmese
bio-safety law is intended to ensure an adequate level of protection for
safe transfer, handling, and use of living modified organisms resulting
from modern biotechnology, that may have an adverse effect on the
conservation, and on sustainable use of biotechnology diversity while
taking into account the risk to humans, specially focusing on
trans-boundary movements.

Burma does not have a Seed Law. The Myanmar Academy of Agricultural,
Forestry, Livestock and Fishery Sciences is in the process of drafting
the Seed Law. Burma also lacks relevant food safety regulations, and
imports many seeds and foodstuffs from neighboring countries and
elsewhere.

BT Cotton, from GM seeds from India, has been on trial for four years in
Mandalay Division. Trials have shown BT cotton to be adaptable to
Burma's soil and climate.

A national Biotechnology Development Center was established in 2004 at
Pathein University, Irrawaddy Division in collaboration with the
National Institute of Technology and Evaluation of Japan. Yangon
Technological University has offered some limited programs in
biotechnology since 1998 -- a research program into the effects of
indigenous plant products on the treatment of malaria in laboratory
animals, and a post-graduate diploma training in aquaculture technology.

**SECTION II: BIOTECHNOLOGY TRADE AND PRODUCTION**

Burma's economy is based on agriculture and most of its exports are
agricultural products such as rice, maize, beans and pulses.
Nevertheless, productivity on these crops is relatively low compared to
major producing countries such as Vietnam and Thailand. Since it has
been unable to overcome many constraints in achieving greater
productivity in yields per acre, Burma has concentrated on increased
acreage to increase output. This primitive method is not sustainable in
the long run. In order to overcome these shortcomings, biotechnology is
being examined in Burma with the objectives to increase crop yields and
to overcome the limitations of conventional plant breeding methods.

Agriculture biotechnology in Burma now is mostly at the plant tissue
culture level. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Irrigation, there are four main tissue culture laboratories located in
Mingaladon, Helgu, Nyaung Hnit Pin (Hmawby) -- all under the Myanma
Agriculture Service, and also in Yezin - under the Department of
Agricultural Research (DAR).

Micro-propagation is being carried out mainly in orchids and some in
banana, pineapple and medicinal aloe plants at the Department of
Agriculture Research (DAR) under the Ministry of Agriculture and
Irrigation, and is among the highest level of agricultural technology
currently in application within Burma. Attempts are also made to produce
virus free plants in potato, banana and strawberry using in vitro
techniques. In rice, another culture technique is utilized to produce
double haploid breeding lines in order to shorten the breeding cycle.
While applying tissue culture techniques, somaclonal variants were
identified and studied in rice, sugarcane and peanut. For the
improvement of indigenous crop varieties and to identify variants in
ornamental plants in vitro nuclear techniques were utilized with the
cooperation of Atomic Energy Agency (Burma).

Recently, isozyme analysis and SDS (PAGE) analysis were carried out to
distinguish among rice and peanut varieties at the Department of
Agriculture Research Institute (DAR). In the future, DAR expects to
apply molecular analysis methods to enhance conventional plant breeding,
phyto-sanitation, and probably in the utilization of transgenic crop
varieties.

Myanma Cotton and Sericulture Enterprise, of the Ministry of Agriculture
and Irrigation, has been doing research on BT cotton, with a GM seed
from India, for four years at the Lun Kyaw Cotton Research Farm at
KyaukSe District, Mandalay Division. Trials have proved to be successful
and the crop adaptable to Burma's environment, but seeds have not been
released commercially.

The Biotechnology Development Center was established on 15 May 2004 at
Pathein University, Pathein Township, Irrawaddy Division. The National
Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE) of Japan and Pathein
University signed an MOU and a project agreement on 26 March 2004 to
establish the Biotechnology Development Center. Work began there in May,
2004 when scholars of NITE of Japan, together with the faculty members
of Pathein University, undertook biotechnology research work for
production of medicine and personal goods from soil and plants, and
carrying out research on microorganisms for agricultural purposes. They
were able to identify 1,835 microorganisms, including 26 items of
microorganisms that can be used in production of glucose from rice,
potato, maize and tapioca, five items of microorganisms that can fight
against insects, and various kinds of microorganisms to be used in
manufacturing medicines for hypertension, gout, liver and hepatitis B
disease.

A laboratory at Nyaung Hnit Pin, Rangoon Township recently has been
upgraded to provide DNA finger printing for imported crops such as rice
and soybean seeds. This lab was jointly funded by China and Japan, with
the lab equipment provided by Japan while infrastructure such as the
buildings was funded by China.

**SECTION III: BIOTECHNOLOGY POLICY**

**Biosafety Law**

At present there is no biosafety law in Burma, but Burma is currently in
the process of developing a national framework for biosafety. At the
present time there is no regulatory controls on imports of GM foods or
food products. Additionally, there is no infrastructure set up to
regulate the commercialization of GM food. Burma is among the less
advanced ASEAN members and lacks the necessary infrastructure for
consumer education and protection. Research activity in this area is
non-existent. The emerging issues are setting up a regulatory framework
and safety assessment infrastructure to accommodate GM crops for
planting or food. Burma also needs to develop a legal framework that can
accommodate biosafety legislation.

Burma has been in the process of developing a National biosafety law.
The United Nations Environmental Program and Global Environment Facility
funded an 18-month project costing \$180,000 US dollars to develop such
a law. The executing agency is the Department of Agricultural Planning,
Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and nine Ministries are involved
in this project:

(1) Ministry of Education

(2) Ministry of Livestock

(3) Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation

(4) Ministry of Science and Technology

(5) Ministry of Forestry

(6) National Committee on Environmental Affairs

(7) Department of Trade/ Ministry of Commerce

(8) Ministry of Finance and Revenue

(9) The Attorney-General's Office

> \(10\) Ministry of Health

In cooperation with the private sector, the above-mentioned Ministries
and Departments will implement a soft law on Living Modified Organisms
(LMO) to precede the full Biosafety law. A UNEP consultant, together
with the officials from the Ministries and Departments involved in this
project, will educate the private sector on awareness of, and the pros
and cons of biosafety.

On May 5^th^ and 13^th^, 2005, the 6^th^ meeting of the National
Biosafety Cooperation Committee Project and Data Gathering on Biosafety
were held. Topics included status of implementation and status of
gathering data and information. The 18-month project is expected to be
completed by November 2005.

# Existing conditions for Biotechnology

For the time being there is no scrutiny or checks on imported seeds and
foodstuffs as Burma lacks a seed law and food safety regulations. It is
an open market. No seed, feed or food importers voluntarily declare
their imports are GM products. Burma still lacks the apparatus and
technical experts to evaluate GM products.

For the time being Burma faces unpredictable results in agricultural
production as most of the cottonseeds and paddy seed are imported
unregulated from India and China. An official from the Ministry of
Agriculture and Irrigation said that he suspected most of the cottonseed
imported from India is GM seed. He also said that since China is also
producing GM paddy seeds, it is likely in the near future that these GM
paddy seeds will find their way to Burma since there are no barriers to
entry of GM seeds, feeds, and foods.

In the animal sector, the involvement of biotechnology is not yet
developed. There has been reports of improved breeding strains such as
poultry and pigs being imported into Burma, along with animal
pharmaceuticals -- vaccines and medicines - as well as animal feeds.
However, it is impossible to ascertain whether any of these materials
contain GMOs.

The Department of Fisheries in Burma is responsible for the control of
fishing in the country as well as in the coastal waters. The Freshwater
Fisheries law of 1991, Aquaculture Law of 1989, Law relating to the
Fishing rights of Foreign Fishing Vessels of 1989, and the Myanmar
Marine Fisheries Law of 1990, were enacted to ensure sustainable fishery
production but do not address GMOs. Although there has been intensive
research on quality hatchery production, the use of biotechnology
related LMOs (Living Modified Organism) is very unlikely for many years,
given the current low status of technology in Burma. Introduction of
high yielding fishes, such as the African Catfish, into Burma has proven
to have negative impacts on domestic fish populations. So far, it
appears that Burma has not imported any kind of fish with altered genes.
A recently introduced Tilapia has raised questions among local producers
given its relatively improved production performance over other species.
Introduction of GM-related alien species into coastal waters of Burma
through trans-boundary movements remains a possibility. The Fisheries
Department is aware of the threats that such alien species can pose to
the indigenous fishery populations and is working in collaboration with
other relevant agencies to maintain conservation of the biodiversity in
Burma's waters.

Initiative in ASEAN on the Development of Biotechnology in the context
of agriculture related GMOs

Burma, being one of the members of ASEAN, is included in this project.
The main problems that the project will address are inadequacies of
technical capability of the new ASEAN member countries to secure safety
and minimize risk in utilization of agricultural GMOs. The project will
address the main problems of inadequately trained personnel,
particularly the lack of competent knowledge and skills to determine
appropriate levels of risk and safety for GMO products. The new members
countries, including Burma, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Vietnam, will
participate in this project.

The objectives of development of biotechnology for new ASEAN member
countries are:

(a) To introduce basic science and skill in application of biotechnology
    to enhance the products and quality of agricultural products;

(b) To provide wider knowledge to technical experts in justification and
    determination of risks and safety measures on GMO products;

(c) To support the development of human resources in new member
    countries by transferring the technology to enable the establishment
    of capacity building in development of biotechnology.

The ASEAN Secretariat will co-ordinate project activities with the new
member countries and submit progress reports to donor agencies. A
National project director will be assigned in each new member country
for project management and report the progress report to ASEAN
secretariat and donor agencies. In Burma, the Department of Agricultural
Planning, Ministry of Agricultural and Irrigation, will be the
implementing agency through the assistance of ASEAN Secretariat.

**SECTION IV: MARKETING ISSUES**

Currently, it is United States Government policy to not undertake any
marketing development or reporting activities within Burma. The current
military junta government of Burma is not recognized by the U.S.
government as the legitimate government. Stringent sanctions and trade
restrictions are in place as a result. No marketing efforts regarding
biotechnology have been undertaken.

# SECTION V: CAPACITY BUILDING AND OUTREACH

Capacity building and outreach efforts on agricultural biotechnology
remain unexplored, due to the above policy.

**SECTION VI: REFERENCE MATERIAL**

National Progress Report submitted to the Third series of Sub Regional
Workshops (2003/004), Myanmar (Burma)

Current Status of Biotechnology in Myanmar, by Zaw Lin and Molly Maung,
Biotechnology Section, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, Yangon
Technological University, Myanmar

FAO documents

# APPENDICES

1)  **Micro propagation of Crops**

  ------------- -------------- ------------------- ----------------------------
  Crop          Technique      Status              Details

  Aloe Vera     Micro          \-                  Fruit Research & Development
                propagation                        Center (FRDC)

  Banana        Micro          Commercialization   \-
                propagation                        

  \-            Micro          \-                  FRDC
                propagation                        

  Oil Palm      Micro          \-                  Embryo culture; FRDC
                propagation                        

  Orchids       Micro          \-                  \-
                propagation                        

  Pea nut       Isozymes       \-                  Cultivar Identification;
                                                   Central Agriculture
                                                   Institute

  Pineapple     Micro          Commercialization   FRDC
                propagation                        

  Potato        Micro          \-                  FRDC
                propagation                        

  Rice          Isozymes       \-                  Cultivar Identification;
                                                   Central Agriculture
                                                   Institute

  Strawberry    Micro          \-                  FRDC
                propagation                        

  Teak          Micro          \-                  Meri stem culture; Central
                propagation                        Forest Development Training
                                                   Center

  Sugar cane    Lepidoptera    Experimental phase  Cry gene
  ------------- -------------- ------------------- ----------------------------

**2)** **Name of possible GM seeds and importing companies**

Tropical Biotechnology Co. Ltd. -

Mahyco Hybrid cottonseeds from India

> Magic 1 Short staple cotton
>
> Bounty 3 Medium staple cotton
>
> Cotton white Silk Long staple cotton

Potatoes from India

> Hybrid True Potato Seeds (TPS)

Sin Shwe Li, Regional Military Commander, Shan State -

Hybrid Paddy seed (upland and low land) from China

Myanma Agricultural Produce Trading

Hybrid Paddy seed Mya Sein Yaung (from Taiwan (?))

Importer unknown, for opium crop substitution in Wa area--

Upland Paddy seed Da baing Ku (from China) in Wa area, first seeded in
2004,

> rumored to be successful.

3\) Biotechnology research/policy

  ---------------------- --------------- ---------------------------------
  Biotechnology Research Responsible     
  Policy                 institutions    
                         for             
                         biotechnology   
                         research in     
                         agriculture are 
                         the Ministry of 
                         Agriculture and 
                         Irrigation and  
                         the Ministry of 
                         Forestry        

  Research Capacity      Key             An overview on agricultural
                         Institutions    research institutes can be
                                         obtained from ASTI data base and
                                         from NARS Yezin Agricultural
                                         University Myanmar Rice Research
                                         Center

                                         

                         Summary of      No information on a national
                         Major Research  research program on agri.
                         Programs        biotechnology available: for an
                                         overview on agricultural research
                                         projects in general see WISARD
                                         directory

                                         

  Biotechnology          Bio safety      No information on national
  Regulatory Framework                   legislation related to
                                         biotechnology or GMO's available

                                         Party of the Convention on
                                         Biological Diversity and the
                                         Cartagena protocol

                                         

                         Food Safety     Food safety is regulated by
                                         Directive No 9 0n General
                                         Products Standards (1996) that
                                         does not contain regulations on
                                         biotechnology: an overview on
                                         food safety regulations can be
                                         obtained from ECOLEX and FAOlex

                                         

                                         

                                         

                         Patents         Patenting is regulated by Myanmar
                                         Patents Act (1946); more
                                         information on IP legislation can
                                         be obtained from the WIPO Guide
                                         to Intellectual Property

                         PVP             No information on PVP legislation
                                         available

                                         

  Biotechnology          There are some  
  Application            applications on 
                         the FAO BioDeC  
                         data base       
  ---------------------- --------------- ---------------------------------

Source: <http://www.fao.org/biotech/inventory> (under development)

End of Report.