No GM grain seeds for mass cultivation: ministry
- Source: Global Times
- [02:51 March 04 2010]
- Comments
By Yin Hang
The Ministry of Agriculture denied it approved genetically modified seeds to be imported for domestic cultivation and insisted that there's no domestic cultivation of genetically modified crops in China.
In response to allegations that "the ministry had given green light to imports of genetically modified seeds and allowed massive-scale domestic cultivation," the ministry told the Xinhua News Agency on Tuesday that although it has already authorized the imports of four genetically modified crops of cotton, soybeans, corn and canola as raw materials for trial, the ministry has not yet ratified any genetically modified food crop seeds to be imported for cultivation.
The ministry's support last August for two strains of genetically-modified rice and a type of corn for field trials was the first time for China to grant safety certificates to modified staple foods. It provoked criticism from domestic green groups who believe the decision poses food safety risks.
In response to growing questions, the ministry explained that the safety certificates issued for the three crops are for small-scale trials, which is not the equivalent of commercialized production.
Any massive production would require further authorization, which could be subjected to tight supervision, the ministry said.
Genetically modified crops such as cotton, tomatoes and peppers, were granted safety certificates by the ministry between 1998 and 1999.
China went from a major soybean producer to the largest soybean importer in 2002, when it abolished an import quota and a tariff on soybeans. It imported 42.6 million tons of soybeans in 2009, up 14 percent over 2008. Customs data showed more than 97 percent of soybeans were imported from the US, Brazil and Argentina.
With a population of 1.3 billion, there is fear that rice and wheat will not be enough to feed the population.
China's annual rice output is about 500 million tons at present. It was predicted that the nation's population would grow to 1.45 billion by 2020.
At that time, around 570 million tons of grain will be needed a year, while the production was set to reach 540 million tons, according to a State outline to address the country's grain security issued in 2008.
To ensure supply, the country intends preserve a stable amount of land for grain production, keep boosting production and hold a reasonable reserve of grain for emergency need, the plan said.
