LAHORE: The recently approved genetically modified (GM) corn seeds will help farmers generate an additional income of over Rs100 billion annually.
Croplife Pakistan Executive Director Dr Muhammad Afzal said that the government’s recent approval for the Insect protected and herbicide tolerant corn is a landmark decision as it would not only help boost productivity of corn but also enhance confidence of technology providing companies.
Afzal said that the GM corn approval decision was taken after a rigorous process spread over seven years. “It involved extensive regulatory assessments which reaffirmed the safety of a technology. The approval process involved monitoring of field trials and evaluation of risk assessment submissions by designated committees of the government as required by the country’s biosafety laws,” he said.
A new report reveals that 2 billion hectares of GM crops have been grown globally since its introduction in 1996 which has increased farmer income worldwide by an extraordinary $150 billion over time,” said Afzal.
