July 3, 2006

US farmers plant more GM soy, corn and cotton in 2006

US farmers will continue this year a steady trend of planting more and more genetically modified corn, soybean and cotton this year, the US Department of Agriculture said Friday (Jun 30) in an annual assessment.

The USDA said 89 percent of the soybeans planted this year will be biotech varieties. It was 87 percent last year. And 61 percent of the corn planted this year will be biotech, a jump from 52 percent in 2005.

The USDA also said 83 percent of the cotton planted this year will be genetically modified, up from 79 percent last year.