April 10, 2012
Vietnam may permit GM corn cultivation this year
Deputy Minister Bui Ba Bong said that Vietnam''s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development will approve the result of testing gene-modified corn and the country may allow growing of GM corn this year.
However, the ministry will seek consultation from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment before taking any official decision on the issue, Bong said.
On April 5, the Agricultural Genetics Institute reported that it gained good testing results from cultivating GM corn varieties in past two crops in large-scale field in four ecological zones of Vinh Phuc, Dak Lak, Son La and Vung Tau.
According to the report, yield of GM corn varieties increased by 30-40% compared to that of ordinary varieties thank to better resistance against stem borer. No negative impacts of GM corn over the environment have been detected, said Dr. Le Huy Ham, head of the institute.
GM corn varieties gave high rate of biological safety, said Pham Dong Quang, deputy head of the Department of Crop Production. However, some other scientists said testing of GM corn should be extended to six consecutive crops to investigate their impacts on the environment.
Testing of GM corn in two crops is two short, they said. If approved, GM corn varieties are expected to help Vietnam to raise the country''s corn production output to meet the nation''s demand. Currently the country grows about two million hectares of corn, with an output of 5.03 million tonnes. The country has to import 1.6 million tonnes of corn annually.
The Southeast Asian country is estimated to need 50 million tonnes of cereals by 2020, which will require a total cultivation area of between 3.8 million and four million hectares.