China is getting close to commercially producing a variety of genetically modified crops and that is good news for Canadian growers, says an industry official.
China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs recently approved 37 GM corn and 14 GM soybean varieties for cultivation.
The approvals are part of a pilot program introduced in 2021 designed to kickstart commercial production of the crops to address mounting food security concerns.
“We had always been getting approvals for us to export to them, but they were never approving anything for growth in China,” said Ian Affleck, vice-president of plant biotechnology with CropLife Canada.
That has changed big-time.
His contacts in China tell him they expect GM corn and soybean uptake to be at North American levels of adoption within five years, which would be in the 90 to 95 percent range.
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“It has some real benefits for us because as they normalize the production of (GM crops) domestically, their approval system is getting more predictable and expedient,” he said.
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Another big benefit is that countries like Canada and the United States will have a powerful new ally when it comes to advocating for GM crops in the global trading arena.
And it should help when it comes to bilateral trade with China.
