Japanese company to buy GM Corn
for food production
According to media reports, a major Japanese wet miller, Kato
Kagaku Co Ltd. (also known as Kato Chemical) will start
accepting non-segregated corn. The company buys corn for
production of starch and sweeteners used by breweries, and
manufacturers of soft drinks and processed foods. Since 2000,
Kato Chemical has been buying non-GM corn via an identity
preserved (IP) handling system. The decision to shift to GM
corn has been prompted by the rise in the prices of corn,
which have gone up because of the increasing use of corn for
making alternative fuel.
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Egypt approves Bt-corn variety for cultivation
On March 24, 2008, the Egyptian agriculture minister approved
the decision of the National Biosafety Committee and Seed
Registration Committee to allow commercialization of GM corn.
This is the first approval given to a GM crop for domestic
planting in Egypt after field trials in 2007. The seed corn
will be imported from South Africa.
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India-Australian fund for GM crops research
According to media reports, India and Australia are likely to
create a joint corpus to fund research in transgenic crops in
the public sector. Crops of common interest like cotton,
wheat, chickpea and banana have been selected for this
purpose. This was decided in Delhi during a two-day
discussion between the agriculture scientists of both
countries. The scientists suggested setting up of a joint
India-Australia agbiotech fund for a period of 12 years. The
fund would provide about $25 million per year for research in
developing a particular trait in a crop eg resistance to
drought.
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