August 9, 2007

Brazil's Embrapa could have new transgenic soy on market by 2012

Brazil's official crop science institute, Embrapa, could have its own transgenic soy on the market by 2012, the Agriculture Ministry said in a press release Tuesday (August 7) evening.

Embrapa and chemical company BASF AG entered into an agreement to develop new transgenic soy, different from the Roundup Ready soy by Monsanto (MON) currently dominating Brazil's genetically-modified seeds market. Roundup Ready is the only transgenic soy permitted in Brazil at this time.

Embrapa and BASF will be working on soy resistant to the herbicide imazapyr. The herbicide targets invasive grasses and weeds. BASF sells the herbicide in the US under the Arsenal, Sahara and Stalker name brands.

Embrapa would have to get approval from the biosafety agency CTNBio before being able to market the new soybean. Scientific studies have been sent to CTNBio, the Agriculture Ministry said in the press release.

During the development phase, from 2007 to 2010, BASF and Embrapa will invest around 3.5 million Brazilian reals (US$1.9 million).

Embrapa is under the umbrella of Brazil's Agriculture Ministry.

Brazil is the world's No. 2 soy producer behind the US. More than half of the soy planted in Brazil is genetically-modified.

The government permitted transgenic soy for the first time in the 2006/07 crop.