News section
Lula assina ainda hoje MP dos transgênicos, afirma vice-líder do governo na Câmara
Brazilian farmers can legally grow GM soy this season- President Lula da Silva signs executive order
Brasília, Brasil
October 14, 2004

Nelson Motta
Repórter da Agência Brasil


O presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva assina ainda hoje a medida provisória (MP) que permite o plantio e a comercialização da soja geneticamente modificada da safra de 2004/2005. A informação foi dada pelo vice-líder do governo na Câmara, deputado Beto Albuquerque (PSB-RS), que esteve com o presidente no Palácio do Planalto.

"O presidente tomou a decisão e vai assinar hoje a MP que será publicada amanhã no Diário Oficial. Esse é um assunto encerrado. Cabe agora ao Congresso Nacional concluir a sua parte, que é a regra geral de Biossegurança que o Brasil precisa, não só para a soja, mas também para todo o processo de ciência que nós temos que valorizar no Brasil", afirmou Albuquerque.

Segundo o více-líder, a MP também libera a comercialização da safra transgênica até 2006. "A atual safra, que vai ser plantada com sementes transgênicas, está autorizada a ser comercializada até 2006. Isso foi apenas uma previsão legal que nós achamos que deveríamos incluir na medida provisória. Para não deixar dúvidas, já delimitamos o tempo de comercialização para todo o ano de 2006 e o plantio para 2004/2005".


Brazilian farmers can legally grow GM soy this season- President Lula da Silva signs executive order

October 15, 2004
Source: Soyatech, Inc.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed an executive order Thursday night to allow the planting and trade of genetically modified soy for the 2004-2005 season only. The order allows farmers to plant the GM beans until December 31st, 2004. The resulting crop may be sold until January 31st, 2006, but that deadline may be extended another 60 days.

Pending legislation would have legalized GM soy outright, but it has been delayed in revisions. Given that planting has already begun, waiting for this Biosafety Bill to pass was increasingly not seen as an option.

"The president had no way out," affirms Leon Klein of Klein Commodities in Sao Paulo, "The way it looks now, every state in Brazil is growing GM beans. About 20% of Brazil's soy crop is expected to be genetically modified. I see it as something inevitable that the farmers will grow GM."

Since that was the case, Lula da Silva had to find a solution that would allow Brazil to legally sell its crop. Since no option was immediately apparent from the legislature, he reinstituted the temporary fix he initiated last fall, legalizing GM soy only for the immediate future.

"It's like making rain where it was already wet," says Mr. Klein.

The executive order is too late to make much difference in Mato Grosso, Mr. Klein says, but the crop in southern states of Brazil may be 90% or more genetically modified.

Still, he doesn't expect this to be a major force in commodity markets. "I don't see how Brazil can really affect the markets," he says, "because this was already expected."

(c) 2004 Soyatech, Inc.

News release

Other news from this source

10,182

Back to main news page

The news release or news item on this page is copyright © 2004 by the organization where it originated.
The content of the SeedQuest website is copyright © 1992-2004 by
SeedQuest - All rights reserved
Fair Use Notice