China reportedly approves some biotech traits

There were media reports that the Chinese government on Dec. 30 approved two biotechnology-enhanced crops for import and renewed import permits for 10 more.

According to a document posted on China’s Ministry of Agriculture website, Corteva Agriscience’s Bt soybean variety, DAS-81419-2 (“Conkesta”) was granted an import permit, as was a disease-resistant papaya created by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Center at the University of Hawaii. Corteva confirmed that it had received notification of the approval of its soybean trait, but was still awaiting import approval of its Optimum GLY canola trait.

In addition, there were unconfirmed media reports that import permits also had been renewed for BASF’s herbicide-resistant corn T25 (LibertyLink corn), herbicide-resistant soybean A5547-127 (LibertyLink soybean), and herbicide-resistant rapeseeds T45 (InVigor Canola), Oxy-235 (Navigator Canola) and Ms8Rf3 (InVigor Canola with pollination control); Monsanto’s (Bayer) herbicide-resistant soybean MON89788 (Roundup Ready 2 soybean), insect-resistant cotton 15985 (Bollgard II cotton) and herbicide-resistant beet H7-1 (Roundup Ready sugarbeet); Pioneer/DuPont’s herbicide-resistant soybean 305423 x GTS40-3-2 (Roundup Ready Plenish soybean) and its 305423 soybean trait (Plenish high oleic soybean).

China’s Ministry of Agriculture also reportedly indicated plans to issue biosafety certificates to a domestically grown biotech soybean trait and two biotech-enhanced corn traits following a 15-day public comment period.