March 14, 2011

Vietnam to start planting genetically modified corn

Vietnam will begin planting of genetically modified (GM) corn, which will be the first ever biotech product grown in the country if experimental cultivation yields positive results in 2011.

"Genetically modified or biotech corn has been successfully grown on a small scale in Van Giang District, Hai Hung Province and Long Thanh District, Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province in 2010," Hung says Trinh Va n Hung, Director of the Science and Technology Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Corn was one of the three plants, along with cotton and soy plants, that the agriculture and rural development ministry said could be cultivated in Vietnam.

The cultivation of GM corn is in line with the Government's Decision 11, which concerns investing in advanced biological technologies in the agricultural sector.

Hung said that the agriculture ministry would soon draft instructions concerning the use of GM products in Vietnam.

According to the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), about one billion hectares in 29 countries worldwide in 2010 grew GM crops.

A record 15.4 million farmers grew biotech crops. More than 90% of them were poor farmers in developing countries.