|
|
|
|
National Tree Day Planet Ark Home
|
|
|
||
|
China to grow GM crops in 2001 - officials |
||
|
Mail this story to a friend | Printer friendly version
|
||
| CHINA: June 19, 2000 | ||
|
BEIJING - China will grow genetically-modified crops commercially in 2001 as a government-backed project moves from research to production, officials and researchers said on Friday.
|
||
|
The 300 million-yuan ($36.25 million) project was expected to supply 270 tonnes of corn seeds, 30 tonnes of soybeans and 200 tonnes of rice seeds in 2001, said an official at the Jilin branch of China Research Institute of Agricultural Science. The GM crops developed by the institute would be resistant to pests, which would help farmers save on pesticides, said Liu Depu, one of the experts participating in the project. Every year, 20 to 30 percent of China's annual corn output is lost to pests while 10 percent, or even more, of annual soybean output is lost, he said. "GM crops would help solve the pest problems," said Liu. "It's very important for China to secure a stable grain supply for its growing population," he added. The project received funding from Premier Zhu Rongji in addition to local government support. "We have to develop our own technology on GM crops ahead of the inroads of foreign GM seeds," said Liu. The institute will set up a new company, to be named Jinong Hi-Tech Co Ltd, to take over the project after 2003. "We want to build an internationally competitive company", Liu said. "Besides GM corn, soybean and rice, we will develop other GM seeds."
|
||
|
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
|
||
|
