Farmers warned of threat posed by GM Chinese corn
The Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) has warned Thai cassava farmers about China’s expanding genetically modified (GM) corn production, which could substitute cassava in animal feed and ethanol. China’s GM corn cultivation, rising to 6.25 million rai in 2024, is driven by food security and cost reduction goals. With China importing 27.1 million tonnes of corn in 2023, this increase may impact global corn prices and Thai cassava exports, highlighting the need for market diversification.
The Trade Policy and Strategy Office (TPSO) is warning farmers and cassava growers to be wary of genetically modified (GM) corn development in China because of its potential to be used as a substitute for cassava in the production of animal feed and ethanol.
Poonpong Naiyanapakorn, director-general of TPSO, said China succeeded in its R&D efforts to develop GM corn strains in 1997 that are resistant to major pests.
The country is continuing to conduct field trials to ensure the safety and efficiency of GM plants, he said.
China has imported GM corn since December 2020 as production is still inadequate to meet domestic demand.
China’s R&D on GM corn is also meant to promote food security and self-sufficiency in agriculture, reduce the use of insecticides, and help farmers to reduce cultivation costs, aligning with the agricultural development agenda of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for Economic and Social Development.
In January 2024, China announced 37 GM corn varieties from 24 companies and research agencies that can be cultivated in eight provinces in China: Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Hebei, Jilin, Liaoning, Guangxi, Sichuan and Yunnan.
This year, China’s GM corn cultivation area is expected to increase to 4.17-6.25 million rai, up from 1.67 million rai in 2023.
On Feb 3, 2024, China’s Central Committee and State Council unveiled Document No.1, which sets policy guidelines for agriculture and rural development for the year. The annual document focuses on improving crop yield, particularly for corn and soybeans, to ensure national food security, while urging acceleration of agricultural modernisation to improve farmers’ livelihoods.
While China’s GM corn cultivation area comprises less than 1% of the country’s total corn cultivation land, it is expected to increase on average by 10–15% per year from 2025 to 2027, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service.
“Although corn is not a major agricultural export of Thailand, China’s use of GM corn to increase production to meet domestic demand may affect Thai exports of cassava because it appears corn can be a competitor to cassava in terms of animal feed and ethanol production,” said Mr Poonpong.
“Thailand should reduce its dependence on only a few export markets such as China.”
In 2023, China was the world’s largest importer of corn, amounting to 27.1 million tonnes, up by 27% from a year earlier. The top two GM corn exporters were Brazil and the US.
Last year the global GM corn market was valued at US$264 billion, and is expected to reach a market size of $384 billion by the end of 2030 thanks to advanced technology and the presence of larger players.
The increased supply of GM corn from new producers such as China may reduce global corn prices in the future, according to analysts.
Source Link : https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2819194/farmers-warned-of-threat-posed-by-gm-chinese-corn
Recommended for you
