HANOI (Reuters) — Vietnam, which is heavily dependent on the import of corn and raw material for its feed industry, is allowing the development of genetically modified corn for the first time in order to raise yields and cut the import bill, the government said.
Three varieties of GM corn, which yield up to 37.5 percent more than current ordinary varieties and are less vulnerable to insects, will be planted nationwide, according to a government statement on Monday, citing an agriculture ministry directive.
Last year, Vietnam spent US$1.22 billion on importing 4.8 million tonnes of corn, up 19.3 percent in volume from 2013, mainly from Brazil, India, Argentina, Thailand and Cambodia, based on Vietnam Customs data.
That was nearly double the 2.6 million tonnes brought in by China.
Vietnam’s corn output only meets about a third of demand as the acreage has not been expanded while yields are low and corn development lacks government support, according to the National Maize Research Institute.
Last year, Vietnam planted 2.9 million acres of corn, up 0.6 percent from 2013, while output was unchanged at 5.2 million tonnes, government data shows.
