GFN member AD Alvarez recorded a video from his farm showing the threat of shoot borers in eggplant. Many times, an eggplant looks healthy from the outside. But, cracking open the fruit reveals damage to the inside from shoot borers making the eggplant no longer viable to sell.
In 2023, famers in the Philippines will be allowed to plant Bt eggplant. Alvarez and other farmers now have an equalizer. By planting Bt eggplant, they will be able to limit the damage of shoot borers to an acceptable minimum. That means there will be more eggplant produced and there will be more of this important food for people to add to their diets.