Biotech Updates

Brazil Hits Historical High in GM Planting

January 21, 2011

Brazil is experiencing the highest rate of transgenic adoption with over three quarters of total area planted to genetically modified (GM) soybean and more than half of total area planted to transgenic corn. This is according to a study by Celeres, a Brazilian consulting company specializing in agribusiness. 

Celeres forecasts that 18.1 million hectares is planted with transgenic herbicide-tolerant soybean, which represents 76.2% of the total area sown with the oilseed. "Farmers are encouraged by a favorable scenario in quotes and must sow 23.7 million hectares with soybeans in the 2010/11 season," says Anderson Galvao, director of Celeres. About 325 thousand hectares will be planted with GM varieties containing insect resistance technologies, herbicide tolerance or both technologies stacked. This last case, which represents the first crop season using this stacked technology, should reach 7.8% of the area.

View http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=309207 for more information.