of both the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Philippine government's agriculture department said the newly-developed "golden rice" had completed field trials, despite vandalism at one test field."Golden rice is coming. That is in the pipeline and a lot of the principal development and research has been completed," said Achim Dobermann, deputy director-general of IRRI.
"At the moment, there is no GM rice officially released in any country."
Field trials of the rice, a genetically-modified organism (GMO), have been completed in the Philippines and it is now set to undergo tests to determine if it is safe to consume and propagate, said Antonio Alfonso, coordinator of the Agriculture Department's biotechnology programme.
This is despite an attack by activists on a test field in the Philippines in August that destroyed the golden rice planted there.
Alfonso said it was only one of several golden rice fields, and they were able to complete their tests.
Golden rice has been genetically modified to produce vitamin A, which is lacking in the diets of many people in developing countries, leading to weakened immune systems and blindness, and often resulting in death, IRRI said.
However many environmental groups oppose GMOs, saying they will have harmful side effects which will irreversibly spread even to non-GMO crops.
"There are already existing solutions and programmes being implemented by the Philippine government to address vitamin A deficiency in the country and these have been in place and are continuing to be effective," Greenpeace campaigner Daniel Ocampo said in a statement.
