GM rice withdrawn from US market
US rice growers have been told to destroy a variety of GM rice seed containing material which has not been approved by the US government.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said on Friday
that testing of the Clearfield 131 (CL131) rice seed had “confirmed the presence
of trace levels of genetic material not yet approved for
commercialisation.”
It has called on seed dealers to stop selling the
long-grain rice seed. Farmers who had already planted the seed were advised
either to destroy the plants after they sprout, or to treat them with a
herbicide.
that testing of the Clearfield 131 (CL131) rice seed had “confirmed the presence
of trace levels of genetic material not yet approved for
commercialisation.”
It has called on seed dealers to stop selling the
long-grain rice seed. Farmers who had already planted the seed were advised
either to destroy the plants after they sprout, or to treat them with a
herbicide.
Not an option for planting
US officials said the
Clearfield variety carried the Liberty Link RICE601 gene material, a GM strain
which was at the centre of a ‘contamination’ crisis for the US rice industry
last year. “This seed is not an option for planting this crop season,” USDA told
growers.
Manufacturers BASF Agricultural Products has said it will remove
all Clearfield CL131 rice seed from the marketplace.
Related news
story:
USDA about to approve GM rice project
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