Global Biotech Crop Acreage Grew 15% in 2003

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Researched by Industrialinfo.com (Industrial Information Resources Incorporated; Houston Texas). The number of countries responsible for 99% of the global biotech crop area expanded from four to six in 2003, and global acreage under biotech crops expanded 15% to 167.2 million acres when compared to 2002.

Brazil and South Africa joined the U.S., Argentina, Canada, and China in the leading group with Brazil and South Africa showing the greatest annual increase by planting 33% more biotech acres than in 2002. The other top countries planting more than 125 hectares are Australia, India, Romania, and Uruguay. In the '125,000 acres or less' category there are now eight countries - Spain, Mexico, Philippines, Colombia, Bulgaria, Honduras, Germany and Indonesia, according to the report "Global Status of Commercialized transgenic Products, 2003", published by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA).

The U.S. planted 105.7 million acres of biotech crops, an increase of 10% from 2002, and accounted for 63% of the global total of biotech crops. This continued growth was a result of significant acreage gains in biotech corn varieties and continued increases in herbicide tolerant soybeans.

The report states that seven million farmers in eighteen countries (with 85% of that total being resource-poor farmers in the developing world) now plant biotech crops, which shows an increase from six million in sixteen countries in 2002. Developing countries accounted for almost 33% of the global biotech crop, which was a 25% increase, when compared to 2002.

Moving into fourth place ranking for producers of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), Brazil has around 7.41 million acres of transgenic soybeans under cultivation. The Brazilian soybean is considered to be a conservative estimate and the final planted area could be significantly higher. 2003 was the first year in which the planting of biotech soybeans was approved.

Biotech soybeans continue to lead all acreage globally with an increase of nearly 13.4% to 102.2 million acres which represents 55% of the global soybean crop. New varies and country approvals spurred the greatest growth in acreage of biotech maize which grew 25% to 38.3 million acres representing 11% of the global maize area. Biotech canola grew 20% to 8.9 million acres - 16% of global acreage and biotech cotton grew 6% to 9.7 million acres - 21% of global acreage.

Clive James, chairman and founder of the ISAAA says that, despite the ongoing debate in the EU, that there is cause for cautious optimism that the global area of biotech crops will continue to grow in 2004 and beyond. The ISAA predicts that 10 million farmers in 25 or more countries will plant 247 million acres within the next five years. According to the report, the global value of biotech crops is expected to increase from approximately $4.5 billion in 2004 to $5 billion or more by 2005.

ISAAA has three regional centers at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York - Nairobi, Kenya and Manila, Philippines.