GM crop production climbs by 180%
The 2006 production of GM maize, soya and cotton in South Africa totalled 1.4 million hectares, an increase of 180% over the 2005’s 500,000 hectares, according to figures released by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) showed.
“White and yellow maize topped the list with more than one million hectares
followed by soya and cotton,” ISAAA said, adding that the increase was the
second highest percentage increase of any country in the world surpassed only by
India with 192% increase.
‘Trust and confidence’ in GM
ISAAA
noted that South Africa was also a major producer of GM maize seed produced by
numerous commercial and emergent farmers. Last year some 1232 metric tons worth
R37-million were exported.
South Africa was also a regular exporter of GM
and non-GM cotton seed, according to ISAAA
“These achievements, in no
uncertain terms, reflect the trust and confidence of thousands of South African
commercial and emergent farmers and consumers in crop biotechnology as the
leaders in Africa of this unique agricultural technology,” Lourie Bosman,
president of a local farming body Agri SA, said.
