Monsanto puts GM wheat before regulators
 
CANADA: January 9, 2003
 
WINNIPEG, Manitoba - Monsanto Co. (MON.N). has asked Canadian and U.S.
regulators to attest to the safety of its genetically modified wheat, moving
another step closer toward commercializing the grain, company officials said. 

But government approval will not necessarily lead to a commercial launch of
the wheat, engineered to withstand Monsanto's popular glyphosate-based
Roundup herbicide, spokesman Trish Jordan said.
"We could easily have regulatory approval but still not be ready to go
forward," Jordan said.

Monsanto has said it will seek to introduce the biotech wheat simultaneously
in Canada and the United States, and made the final regulatory submissions in
both countries in late December, said company officials.

The prospect of commercializing biotech wheat has sparked fierce debate in
both countries. The U.S. Wheat Associates marketing organization has warned
U.S. wheat sales will be jeopardized by Roundup Ready wheat.

And more than 80 percent of Canadian wheat buyers have said they do not want
to buy GM wheat, according to a survey by the Canadian Wheat Board, Canada's
monopoly exporter of wheat.

Chief among these are European customers, who on average buy more than 1
million tonnes of Canadian wheat each year.

The European parliament has proposed new tolerance levels for GM seed in 
shipments of non-GM grain that Canadian exporters have said would be 
difficult to meet.

But Monsanto has promised to meet other conditions, on top of regulatory 
issues, before it puts GM wheat on the market, Jordan said.

These include finding buyers for GM wheat, ensuring the grain handling system 
can keep it separate from other types of wheat, and making sure handlers can 
adequately test for the presence of GM wheat in non-GM shipments to meet 
international tolerance standards.

"Ultimately, when the product is introduced, we want to maintain choice for 
buyers," Jordan said.

Monsanto has not established a timetable for rolling out GM wheat, she said.

"There's a lot of work left to be done," Jordan said. "We don't have a clear 
idea on how much time it's going to take to address each one of these issues
."

Canadian regulators will likely take "years, rather than months" to review 
Monsanto's application, she said.

But once regulators certify the food, feed and environmental safety of GM 
wheat, the company hopes it will give the wheat industry more peace of mind
with GM wheat, Jordan said.

Monsanto plans to update the U.S. wheat industry on its plans for Roundup 
Ready wheat at an industry conference at the end of January.

 

Story by Roberta Rampton 
 

REUTERS NEWS SERVICE