The Hindu Business Line : Biotech crops make inroads globally

GENETICALLY-modified crops have made considerable inroads into traditional agriculture over the last ten years. Major biotech crops to have been successfully commercialised include cotton, corn (maize) and soyabean.

After a decade of commercialidation, global area under biotech crops has expanded to 90 million hectares in 21 countries covering 8.5 million farmers in 2005, with Indian farmers planting 1.3 million hectares last season, according to International Service for Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA).

Herbicide-tolerant soyabean continues to be the mostly widely adopted trait, accounting for 60 per cent of total global area. Varieties with stacked traits are growing in popularity, accounting for 10 per cent of global area, the ISAAA report pointed out.

India experienced the greatest proportional growth for any biotech crop globally in 2005 with biotech cotton (popularly known as Bt. Cotton) production soaring 160 per cent.

Trade estimates put the country's total cotton output at about 24 million bales of cotton (170 kg each) in 2005-06. A total of 20 hybrids were approved for planting in 2005, up from four in 2004 and the number of farmers planting biotech cotton expanded nearly three times to one million hectares.

Suggesting that the technology had tremendous growth potential to benefit developing countries in particular, the report said indicators of continued growth included China'

s expected near-term adoption of bio-tech rice, more nutritious bio-tech food and feed products, and the anticipated introduction of novel crop products used as renewable resources for more sustainable and affordable production of bio-fuels.

ISAAA has projected the global value of biotech crop market to increase to $ 5.50 billion in 2006 from $ 5.25 billion in 2005.