China is expected to approve the production of genetically modified rice within the year, potentially spurring other rice-producing countries in the Asian region to follow suit, according to a report by the Xinhua agency.
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“All signals indicate that China may begin commercial cultivation of biotech rice within the year,” said Randy Hautea, Manila-based global coordinator of the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).
Hautea said China had been undertaking extensive field trials for biotech rice in the past few years and expected the approval of authorities for commercial production within the year.
Field-testing of two biotech varieties in the provinces of Hubei and Fujian showed yield increases of around 4% to 8% and pesticide reduction of around 80%, translating to an overall increase in net income by US$80-US$100 per hectare, Hautea said.
According to Hautea, tighter domestic supply last year, which forced China to import even low-grade rice, was apparently a major contributing factor in the aggressive pursuit of genetically modified rice varieties by the country.
While fluctuations in China’s rice production were caused mostly by adverse weather conditions, the availability of pest-resistant rice varieties could help stabilize output.
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By GlobalData“The real problem is the instability in year to year output because of weather factors and outbreaks of pest infestation. You may not be able to control the weather, but a pest-resistant variety would help stabilize production,” Hautea said.
The rice is a genetically modified variety that is resistant to the stem borer pest, a major problem across Asia, including China. In China, insect borers are prevalent on up to 75% of the country’s approximately 30 million hectares of rice plantations.
Faced with a challenge of having to feed about 20 percent of the world’s population, China had taken an aggressive policy stance to take advantage of the benefits of biotechnology, Hautea said.
