GM sugarcane: Australia and DuPont develop jointly
Australia and DuPont develop GM sugarcane crops jointly
According to reports in the Australian domestic media, the main research body of Australia's white sugar industry, the Bureau of Sugar Experiment Stations (BSES), has signed a multi-million-dollar cooperation agreement with DuPont. The two parties have now received preliminary-stage approval from the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator and Food Standards Australia New Zealand, and will conduct GM sugarcane trials on less than two hectares of farmland in Queensland, with costs estimated at 25 million US dollars over the next five years.
The director of BSES said that even if the trials progress well, GM sugarcane will not reach the market until the next decade at the earliest. Before commercial release, GM sugarcane will need at least seven to eight years. GM sugarcane may become Australia's next approved GM crop.
Australia's annual sugarcane output is 33 million tons, and about 85% of the sugarcane is exported overseas, making sugarcane Australia's second-largest export product, after wheat.
This year the price of sugarcane rose to 500 US dollars per ton, because of a global shortage of white sugar.
This year the value of Australia's sugarcane output is expected to reach 1.6 billion US dollars, and next year it is expected to increase to 2 billion US dollars.
The director of BSES said that even if the trials progress well, GM sugarcane will not reach the market until the next decade at the earliest. Before commercial release, GM sugarcane will need at least seven to eight years. GM sugarcane may become Australia's next approved GM crop.
Australia's annual sugarcane output is 33 million tons, and about 85% of the sugarcane is exported overseas, making sugarcane Australia's second-largest export product, after wheat.
This year the price of sugarcane rose to 500 US dollars per ton, because of a global shortage of white sugar.
This year the value of Australia's sugarcane output is expected to reach 1.6 billion US dollars, and next year it is expected to increase to 2 billion US dollars.