March 19, 2007

 

Soy growers in Brazil's Parana state worried by GMO ban
 

 

Farmers in Parana, Brazil's second largest soy producer, are in the midst of harvesting but they are already concerned that a state ban against genetically modified (GMO) products may continue next year.

 

Farmers prefer using glyphosate herbicide-resistant GMO soy because it is cheaper to grow, and it now covers half the soy area in Parana.

 

But Parana Governor Roberto Requiao won a court ruling at the end of February which prohibits the use of glyphosate and is studying ways of encouraging the planting of conventional soy.

 

According to Luiz Fernando Guerra, director of Guerra Sementes in Pato Branco, the GMO ban also worries the government as there are not enough conventional soy seeds.

 

He said that if the February ruling is not overturned, farmers planting GMO seed will have to use normal herbicide which will make the crop unprofitable.

 

The Agricultural Federation of Parana (Faep) is appealing against the court ruling, arguing that glyphosate fertiliser was approved by the Ministry of Agriculture on the advice of the national environmental organization Ibama.

 

Farmers hope the glyphosate ban will be lifted as GMO crops are much easier to grow, said Adam Stemmer, general director of the Agraria Cooperative in Guarapuava.

 

But many farmers still plant conventional soybeans because they expect them to command a premium. Currently there is no GMO seed adapted to conditions in Guarapuava.

 

But it is difficult to segregate the two types of soy.

 

According to Stemmer, few farmers keep GMO soy apart from normal supplies as the tolerance margin for GMO soy in a conventional shipment should be raised from 0.1 percent.

 

He added that the premium for regular soy should be at least 10 percent of its price for higher costs to attract growers.

 

Agraria expects Europe, which bans GMO crops, to pay the full premium within 24 months due to a shortage of GMO-free soy supplies.