February 7, 2007

 

GMO likely in 80 percent of Brazil soy crops by 2010

 

 

Brazil's soy crop will likely be at least 80 percent genetically-modified by 2010, according to the country's top crop science institute, Embrapa.

 

"The increase is GMO soy use is due to the growing availability of transgenic seeds in the market for all soil and climate types," said Antonio Carlos Roessing, a scientist at Embrapa's soy research centre in Londrina, Parana.

 

Roessing said the 2010/11 crop would be at least 80 percent transgenic soybeans.

 

The Brazilian government permitted transgenic soy to be planted nationwide in the first half of 2006, in the middle of Brazil's soy harvest. The 2006/07 crop marks the first season that Brazil farmers and seed retailers were granted commercial permission to sell transgenic soybeans. Some 45 percent of the crop is transgenic this season.

 

Monsanto's Roundup Ready is the only technology approved in the transgenic soy market. Dozens of companies, including Embrapa, are licensed to make Roundup Ready varieties for retail. Monsanto receives a portion of the royalty payments.

 

Roessing said that arguments by anti-transgenic soy activists were losing out to the actual science.

 

"The US and Argentina have been planting GMO soy for over 10 years, and until then, there has never been any environmental damage or human health problems," Roessing said.

 

Soy does not cross-pollinate as much as other crops, such as corn, so transgenic seeds aren't contaminating the biodiversity of local varieties, Roessing said.

 

Brazil farmers turn to transgenic soy because they say it helps control weeds, ultimately lowering costs for herbicides by some 15 percent, according to Embrapa.

 

International chemical company BASF is currently working with Embrapa on a soybean resistant to certain herbicides. Embrapa is still studying seeds that are tolerant to dry spells. Both transgenic soybeans are not available for commercial use.

 

"Farmers are more interested in transgenic soybeans. Judging by what seed companies are producing and what farmers are asking for, we'll double GMO soy plantings next year," said Seneri Paludo, a soy market analyst for AgRural, an agribusiness consulting firm in Mato Grosso.

 

Mato Grosso's 2006/07 soy crop is 25 percent transgenic soy, according to AgRural. Mato Grosso is Brazil's leading soy producing state.

 

Brazil is the no. 2 soy producer behind the US and should harvest roughly 55 million tonnes in the 2006/07 crop.