5 new GM crops win approval for import

Source: Xinhua | 2019-01-09

China approved five genetically modified crops for import yesterday, the first in about 18 months in a move that could boost its overseas grains purchases.

The approvals were announced on the agriculture ministry’s website.

Two of the newly approved products — BASF’s RF3 canola and Bayer-owned Monsanto’s glyphosate-tolerant MON 88302 canola — had been waiting six years for permission.

The other approved products were DowDuPont Inc’s DP4114 corn and DAS-44406-6 soybean, as well as the SYHT0H2 soybean developed by Bayer CropScience and Syngenta but now held by BASF.

“We are happy to see the regulatory approval of our seed traits progressing in China,” Corteva Agriscience, the agriculture unit of DowDuPont, said by e-mail.

No local GM plantings

China had not approved any GM crops for import since July 2017, when it cleared two products. It also approved two products in June 2017.

China’s scientific advisory board on GM crops met in June but did not give the go-ahead for imports of any products.

China does not allow the planting of genetically modified food crops, but imports of GM crops such as soybeans and corn for animal feed are fine.

The ministry also announced yesterday the extension of import approvals for 26 other GM crops by a further three years.