June 1, 2007

Argentina revokes approval of 2 syngenta corn seed varieties

Argentina has revoked approval of two transgenic corn varieties following the rejection by Spain of a shipment of Argentine corn containing those two traits, according a resolution in the Official Bulletin which went into effect Thursday (May 31).

This month, a shipment or Argentine corn was held up at the Spanish port of Huelva, according to local press reports.

The GA21 and 176 genetic traits, which are resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, are not approved for human consumption in the European Union. The traits were approved in Argentina last year in what ex-Agriculture Secretary Miguel Campos described as a breaking of "the mirror policy" under which Argentina had only approved traits authorised in the European Union.

The seed varieties are produced and licensed by Syngenta AG.

The company lashed out at the decision. The ban "is totally arbitrary, as was adopted due to lobbying of two or three exporters," Syngenta spokesman Antonio Arace told local daily La Nacion.

The company plans to make an administrative appeal and has not ruled out filing a lawsuit, Arace said.