MANILA: The Philippine government will challenge a ban on imports of genetically modified products ordered by the country’s top court, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala told Reuters on Thursday.
Last week, the Supreme Court struck down a 2002 government regulation that allowed the import of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and imposed a temporary ban until new rules were formulated.
The order will halt the Southeast Asian country’s imports of soybean meal, which amount to around two million tonnes a year and mainly come from the United States. Nearly all of the imports are genetically modified.
“What the Supreme Court is saying, I was informed, is to come up with new rules,” Alcala told Reuters by telephone.
“In the meantime, there will be a motion for reconsideration to be filed once we have received a copy of the decision.”
Such a request would mean there should be no ban while the new rules are being drafted, he added.
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