By Robert Derham, Checkbiotech

In the wake of the decision by the Brazilian Congress to allow stem cell research and genetically modified crops to be grown within Brazil, Embrapa has announced it should be able to introduce new varieties to the market (related Embrapa news release).

With a white flag raised, earlier this month the Brazilian Congress ended the battle of whether or not Brazil should legalize the growth of genetically engineered crops.

It was no secret that Brazil had been carry out several of its own research projects to develop genetically enhanced crops over the past years. Current projects range from beans, papayas, potatoes and others—but none so extensively as soybeans.

Now that Congress has given the thumbs up, and Brazilian President Luiz Incacio Lula has given his blessing, the government research institute Embrapa is expected to release around 11 new GM soybean varieties for the next planting season.

Ricardo Vilela Abdelnoor, a senior researcher at Embrapa, told sources, “We have had a number of these varieties ready for some time. Now Congress appears to give us the chance to move forward."

In the past, Brazilian farmers have relied heavily on transgenic varieties brought in illegally from Argentina and other open markets.

Yearly government decrees made it possible for Brazilian farmers to sell their soybean harvests, even though they soybeans had been illegally brought into the country, and were genetically modified.

However, these smuggled varieties were not always well suited for the terrains of Brazilian agriculture. Abdelnoor noted that the new varieties from Embrapa should resolve many of the problems of the past.

"Hopefully we will see cost cuts by 10% to 20%, and yields rise significantly with the introduction of these new seeds."

Availability of the new GM varieties will be limited for the next growing season, but, thereafter, Embrapa plans on meeting the demands of the market.

Currently, Brazil is the world's second-largest soybean producer to the US, producing roughly 57 million metric tons of soybeans this year alone according to government figures.

Related article
March 3, 2005
Monsanto and Brazil to invest $20 mln in new GMO soy