SOUTH AFRICA: Genetically Modified Food Produce Up 30%

Pretoria – South Africa’s genetically modified (GM) maize, soya and cotton, in terms of area planted, increased by 30 percent to 1.8 million hectares (ha) over 2006/07.

“White GM maize totalled 1 040 000 ha, an increase of 48 percent over 2006/07, representing a market share of 62 percent.

“Yellow maize increased from 528 000 ha to 567 000 ha, up 7 percent, with a market share of 51 percent,” said Agri SA President Lourie Bosman, Wednesday.

He said the figures were indicative of the increasing confidence thousands of South Africans and emerging farmers had in crop biotechnology.

Just over half of the maize produced in South Africa was GM maize, and the country is entering its 12th year since the adoption of biotech crops in 1996.

South Africa has, therefore, retained its eighth position among 13 biotech mega-countries worldwide.

“Agri SA is positive about genetically modified agricultural crops and is enthusiastic about the contribution they can make in the future towards increased production,” highlighted Mr Bosman.

According to Clive James, chairman of the International Service of the Acquisition for Agri-Biotech Applications, the global adoption of biotech crops in 2007 continued to shoe an impressive 12 percent growth.

Some 12 million farmers in 23 countries on six continents planted 114.3 million ha of GM crops.

About 90 percent or 11 million of these farmers are resource-poor farmers in 12 developing countries.

Mr Bosman was satisfied that GM crops were helping emerging farmers to farm in difficult circumstances around the world.

GM crops are engineered to withstand environmental factors such as drought, and depending on the farmers needs, a dominant trait has been seeds with Herbicide Tolerance (HT) allowing the farmers to make use of herbicides without harming the crops.

South Africa produces GM crops, non-GM crops and organic crops; however the choice of what type of crop to plant was still in the hands of the farmer.

The cumulative value of GM maize at farmer’s price totalled R21.631 billion, Mr Bosman said, adding that cumulative GM maize produced was 14.673 metric tons.

“This maize has been consumed, in one way or another, every year by 40 million South Africans without any substantial medical or scientific adverse effects to humans, animals or the environment,” he said.

The first drought resistant maize varieties are expected to be commercialised in 2011. The seed trait has already been incorporated in several other crops, and field trials are already underway in South Africa.

Mr Bosman said it is anticipated that the number of countries adopting the use of biotech crops will double by 2015, with use by over 100 million farmers.

Burkina Faso, Egypt and Vietnam are most likely to approve biotech crops in the near future. - BuaNews