No GM crop expected in New Zealand before 2020

Date:09-05-2012

Monsanto biotechnology head Robert Reiter says realistically a genetically modified crop which New Zealand farmers could grow, won't be commercially available until at least 2020.

The Sustainability Council says currently soy, maize, canola and cotton crops make up 99 percent of the land put down in genetically modified crops, globally.

At a conference in Rotorua, Mr Reiter said there's more work going on in universties and other parts of industry, than in the walls of Monsanto, to create genetically modified pastures and horticulture crops, that are more relevant to New Zealand.