By Irma Venter
Genetically modified (GM) crop production increased by 30% in South
Africa in 2007 compared with production for 2006, says farmer body AgriSA
president Lourie Bosman.
Last year, the area planted with GM maize, soya and cotton increased
to 1,8-million hectares, compared with 1,4-million hectares in 2006. Maize
topped the 2007 list, at 1,6-million hectares. Of the total maize crop in
South Africa, 57% was genetically modified. The most popular GM crop trait
in South Africa in 2007 was Bt insect-resistant maize, at 1,1-million
hectares, followed by RR herbicide-tolerant maize, at 373 000 ha. GM soya
totalled 144 000 ha ? or 80% of 180 000 ha ? and GM cotton was produced on 9
000 ha ? or 90% of 10 000 ha.

?These achievements once again illustrate the confidence thousands of
South African commercial and emergent farmers and consumers have in crop
biotechnology. AgriSA is positive about GM agricultural crops, and is
enthusiastic about the contribution they can make in future towards
increased production,? says Bosman.

South Africa is the only African country planting GM crops. According
to figures released by the International Service of the Acquisition for
Agri-Biotech Applications (Isaaa), global GM crop area increased by 12% in
2007, reaching 114,3-million hectares. Some 12-million farmers in 23
countries on six continents planted 114,3-million hectares of GM crops in
2007. Isaaa notes that Europe surpassed 100 000 ha of GM crops for the first
time in 2007.

In the European Union, 8 of the 27 countries planted GM crops last
year.
India experienced the highest proportional increase in GM crops in the
world for the third consecutive year in 2007, at 63%. Isaaa says cotton is
grown by 3,8-million resource-poor Indian farmers, noting that yields have
thus far increased by 50%, while insecticide application has been reduced by
50%.
Herbicide tolerance has consistently been the dominant trait deployed
in GM crops.

Isaaa says global economic benefits for biotech crop farmers in 2007
are estimated at more than R49 billion. The cumulative reduction in
pesticide use for the period 1996 to 2006 is estimated at 289 000 t. It is
expected that the number of countries adopting GM crops worldwide will
double by 2015, involving some 100-million farmers.

Burkina Faso, Egypt and Vietnam are likely to approve biotech crops in
the near future.

Bosman says the first drought-tolerant maize varieties are expected to
be commercialised in 2011, with field trials already being conducted in
South Africa.

Worldwide, soya continued to be the principal biotech crop, totalling
58,6-million hectares.
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