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Transgenic sugarcane should be available in Brazil market by 2018
Nov. 30, 2016
The first variety of transgenic sugarcane, being developed by Brazil's Cane Technology Center (CTC), is scheduled for launch on a commercial scale in 2018, Sugaronline reported.
The estimate was released by Brazil's sugarcane industry association Unica in a statement.
The transgenic sugarcane, being developed by CTC, will be resistant to a caterpillar species that devours the plant and is responsible for about BRL5 billion (US$1.5 billion) in loss for the sector each year. "This means approximately 400,000 tons of sugarcanes are no longer crushed every year," Viler Janeiro, CTC director for corporate affairs, said.
CTC has been working on research related to genetically modified sugarcane since 1994. The first variety is awaiting approval by the Brazilian national technical biosafety commission (CTNBio) from the Ministry of Science and Technology (MCT). After approval, it will be able to be multiplied in a controlled manner.
"Our expectation is that from the next season (2017/18), we will have transgenic sugarcane being delivered to customers," Janeiro said.
Unica's director Antonio de Padua Rodrigues said that the genetically modified versions will allow producers to have more profitable sugarcane fields, which are resistant to diseases and pests.
The CTC breeding program has been around for more than 40 years. There are currently 30 different versions of sugarcane varieties in the company's portfolio.
Source: Sugaronline
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