GAIN Report Presents GM Crop Updates in India

India, one of the first countries to adopt biotech crops, continues to be undecided about biotech products. This is according to the USDA FAS Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) report released in December 2023.

Since 2002, the country has been planting Bt cotton, which remains the sole biotech crop cultivated in the country. Bt cotton covered 95 percent of the country's cotton production of 26 million bales (13 million hectares) from August 2022 to July 2023, of which 1.2 million bales were exported.

Biosafety authorizations for genetically modified eggplant and mustard environmental release have been granted in recent years. Soybean and canola oils from select GM events have been given importation approvals.

In 2021, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry granted the importation of 1.2 million metric tons of crushed and de-oiled soy cakes derived from GM soybeans. However, market access for similar products, such as distillers' dried grains with soluble and soy meal from GM crops (corn and soybean, respectively) and GM alfalfa hay, are still yet to be granted.

Download the report for more details.