Brazil’s goal to produce all the wheat it needs in the space of 10 years does not influence the use of transgenic plants, said Celso Moretti, president of agricultural research agency Embrapa. Speaking on an international conference in São Paulo, Moretti’s remarks come as Embrapa tests the drought-resistant genetically modified wheat plant. He says, however, that the experiment is still at a very early stage. The tests with GMO wheat are taking place in the Cerrado biome, which is drier and hotter than traditional wheat areas in the South region. In this region, the use of biotechnology boosted Brazil’s soybean and corn output exponentially, putting its tropical farmers world’s most efficient. Planting of a second wheat crop in the winter of Rio Grande do Sul state and expanding Brazil’s wheat frontier to the Cerrado biome are key output growth drivers, Moretti said. Brazil demands between 12 million and 13 million tons of wheat in a year, Moretti said. Brazil requires between 12 million and 13 million tons of wheat in a year, Moretti said.
Sources: Reuters/Noticias Agrícolas (*Translated by Ia Niani)