BEIJING : China will likely plant less than 1 per cent of its corn fields with genetically modified varieties this year, said two people familiar with the plans, dashing hopes for a full market launch of the technology in the world's second-largest corn market. The agriculture ministry has designated arou
BEIJING : China will likely plant less than 1 per cent of its corn fields with genetically modified varieties this year, said two people familiar with the plans, dashing hopes for a full market launch of the technology in the world's second-largest corn market.
China has studied GMO food crops for decades but has never permitted them to be planted because of opposition to the technology, although it allows imported GMO soybeans and corn for use in animal feed and the planting of GMO cotton. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs did not respond to a request for comment. China planted about 43 million hectares of corn last year, producing a crop of 277 million tonnes, according to official data.
"We expected at least three or four times more," said the seed company manager, referring to the acreage. Dabeinong told investors last year it expected royalties between 8 yuan and 10 yuan for each mu planted in its GMO corn.China's corn fields yield only about 60 per cent as much corn on average as in top producer the United States, where GMO corn makes up more than 90 per cent of the crop.
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