A type of genetically modified wheat developed by Argentina’s Bioceres Crop Solutions (BIOX.O), may be safely grown in the United States, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Tuesday.
The determination clears the U.S. market for production of HB4 wheat, which is modified to tolerate drought, Bioceres said on Wednesday. It is a potential win for farmers grappling with drought and more severe weather, but risks pushback from some consumers and importers.
The United States, the world’s fourth-largest wheat producer, is the fourth country to allow production of HB4 wheat, following Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, Bioceres said.
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Still, it will take years for Bioceres to complete additional steps, such as field trials, before HB4 wheat is grown commercially in the U.S., industry group U.S. Wheat Associates said.
“Wherever wheat is grown in the world, drought takes its toll on yields and quality, so an innovation like HB4 holds a lot of interest for growers like me,” said Michael Peters, an Oklahoma wheat farmer and past chairman of U.S. Wheat Associates.
