Biotechnology
breakthrough
The first survey of the use of agricultur-
al biotechnology in Brazil for the 2016/17
growing season shows a total of 49.1million
hectares, up 7.4% from the previous crop.
These rates consider such crops as soybean,
corn (summer and winter) and cotton. The
total area devoted to these GM crops reach-
es 93.4% of the area. The technology with
combined genes (RI/TH) is up 22.4% from
the previous year and will cover 32 million
hectares, representing the sum of the three
crops, withGMcrops representing 60.8%.
According to figures released by Céleres
Consultancy, the representativeness of this
technology, in total agricultural biotechnol-
ogy in Brazil, is 65.1%, and the trend is for it
to continue soaring, strengthening the pref-
erence of the Brazilian farmers for this type
of cultivation. The number of technologies
approvedwith combined genes amounts to
27 (49.1%of the total) – one for soybean, 22
for corn and 4 for cotton.
MatoGrosso is the State
with the biggest GMsoybean
plantations, totaling 9.3
million hectares
