|
|
 
|
Brazil increases the control of GM soybeans to export more to China
(Aug. 14, 2002 -- CropChoice news) -- The following is a translation of a story from the Aug. 10 edition of Ambiente Brasil. The story is available at http://www.ambientebrasil.com.br/noticias/?action=ler&id=7649
The Brazilian government is working to guarantee that no
genetically engineered (GE) soyabeans get unloaded in China
together with conventional Brazilian soya.
Next week, the Ministry of Agriculture is to publish in the ‘Official
Journal of the Union’ normative instructions prohibiting that non-GE
Brazilian soya be shipped to China on vessels which are also
carrying GE soya from other countries, according to Odilson
Ribeiro, Director of the Plant Inspection Department of the Ministry
of Agriculture.
Odilson said that the measure was taken to prevent the ‘top off’ for
the Chinese market – a practise used in the holds of ships, in
which conventional soyabeans are added on top of GE soya from
other countries during the transport of the product. According to
the protocol agreed between the governments of Brazil and China,
from 20 December 2002, the Chinese government will be
increasingly strict regarding the controls preventing GE soya from
entering the country.
Since the Chinese market requires non-GE soya, Brazilian
exporters will - from December onwards - have to ship soyabeans
without them getting mixed . “Brazilian soya loads will only be
allowed to enter China if conventional soyabeans have been
loaded seprately from GE beans”, said Ribeiro.
According to figures of the Ministry of Agriculture, Brazil currently
exports 3.6 million tons of conventional soya to China each year.
With the change of law, the government expects this volume to
increase to 5 million tons yearly. | |
