March 8, 2023

 

Brazil approves the cultivation and sale of GMO wheat

 

Brazil has approved the cultivation and sale of genetically modified (GMO) wheat that is drought-tolerant, a huge boost for the industry affected by regional dry weather, Yahoo! News reported.

 

The approval, which was published by Brazil's biosecurity agency CTNbio, makes the country the second nation in the world to permit GMO wheat after Argentina approved Bioceres' HB4 wheat strain for cultivation. GMO wheat has been approved in other markets only for consumption.

 

Brazil may not immediately begin producing GMO wheat, but the approval reflects a significant shift in attitudes as concerns about a global food crisis are intensified by climate change and the conflict in Ukraine.

 

It is common to use biotech corn and soy varieties for animal feed, biofuels, and ingredients like cooking oil.

 

Bioceres said the approval has opened the Brazilian market to the technology, and that it would facilitate the commercialisation of the strain in Argentina.

 

The request for the cultivation and sale of GMO wheat in Brazil was made by plant genetics company Tropical Melhoramento e Genetica, a partner in Brazil of Argentina's Bioceres.

 

Wheat is planted in about 3 million hectares (741,316 acres) in Brazil, mostly in southern states like Rio Grande do Sul and Parana.

 

Farmers in that region may be interested in wheat that is drought-tolerant, where crops like maize and soy have experienced water stress. The wheat crop was cut in half in Argentina due to the ongoing drought.

 

Bioceres said their GMO wheat showed higher yields compared to conventional varieties, with an average 43% yield improvement in targeted environments.

 

-      Yahoo! News