Marketability Risks and Transgenic Rice

The commercial approval of transgenic rice in California is unlikely until there is widespread market acceptance and growers are assured of no sales interruptions. Dustin Mulvaney of the University of California Berkeley and colleagues advance this view in an article Transgenic rice evaluated for risks to marketability published in the journal University of California - California Agriculture.

Based on a literature review and extensive interviews, the authors noted that predictions of the economic benefits from transgenic rice must be considered alongside market risks. California growers must have a precautionary approach to market risks, they said, otherwise they could face severe oversupply, lower prices and possibly decreased production.

Until transgenic rice gains market acceptance, the authors suggest management strategies that are likely to be less risky options for California growers. These include alternative weed-management options including breeding for weed-suppressive crop traits, and long term strategies aimed at shifting weed communities to make broad-spectrum herbicides more effective.

Download the article at http://californiaagriculture.ucanr.org/landingpage.cfmarticle=ca.E.v065n03p161&fulltext=yes