September 9, 2009
GMO at 64 percent of Brazil's new 2009-10 soy crop
Brazil's soy farmers should plant 64 percent of their soy area with genetically modified soy in the upcoming 2009-10 crop season, agricultural consultancy Celeres said Tuesday (Sept 8).
Celeres said that the area planted with genetically modified soy should reach 14.6 million hectares, out of an estimated 22.8 million hectares in 2009-10.
The consultancy said that 62 percent of the Brazilian soy area was planted with genetically modified soy in 2008-09 and 59 percent in 2007-08.
Brazil is in its inter-harvest period for soy and farmers will start planting later this month in states such as Mato Grosso, the No. 1 soy producer.
Brazil legalised genetically modified soy in 2005, but the product still lags behind the level of uptake in other major soy producing nations, according to Celeres.
Genetically modified soy accounts for 91 percent of the area planted in the US, and 95 percent in Argentina, said Celeres.
Brazil's southern states have around 81 percent genetically modified soy, while the main center-west soy belt has 53 percent.
Brazil is the world's number two soy producer, behind the US.
