Biotech status in Argentina

According to a new report by the U.S. Department of Agricultures Foreign Agriculture Service (USDA/FAS), Argentina continues to be the worlds second largest biotech crop producer (after the United States) for the 2008/09 planting year, with 16.8 percent of the global area of GM crops located in the country. Almost all soybean area planted in the country is biotech, and 83 percent and 94 percent of corn and cotton areas respectively are also biotech. In addition, the area cultivated with the corn stacked event represents 25 percent of the total, a significant increase in the adoption rate compared to the 2 percent cultivated during the previous year.

"No other Latin American country has embraced biotech crops as wholeheartedly as Argentina," said the report.

The report also noted that the Government of Argentina, which recently created the Ministry of Science and Technology, has placed a priority on promoting biotech research and innovation. Disagreement between biotech giant Monsanto and the Government of Argentina (GOA) on a royalty collection system for Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans, however, is still pending. The current Argentine Seed Law allows producers to save seeds for use on their own farms.

Download the full report at http://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/AGRICULTURAL%20BIOTECHNOLOGY%20ANNUAL_Buenos%20Aires_Argentina_10-27-2009.pdf