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China approves Bt rice and G.M. corn

Reuters says China has approved a strain of genetically modified rice and a GM corn for commercial production. Two members of the Chinese Ministry Agriculture’s Biosecurity Committee say bio-safety certificates have been issued to the Huazhong Agricultural University for a Bt variety of rice and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Science for a type of phytase corn.

China is the world’s largest producer and consumer of rice. The Bt rice is expected to reduce pesticide use by 80 percent while increasing productivity by 8 percent. The corn is designed to increase phosphorus digestibility in hogs thus reducing phosphorus run-off.

Both products need to go through registration and field trials but should be ready for large-scale production in two to three years.