By Ana Mano and Nayara Figueiredo
SAO PAULO, Sept 27 (Reuters) – Brazilian domestic flour millers are threatening to stop buying wheat from Argentina if Brazil commercially approves GMO wheat imports from the neighboring country, Rubens Barbosa, head of the Brazilian Wheat Industry Association (Abitrigo), said on Monday.
Local millers are against processing GMO wheat coming from Argentina or anywhere, according to Abitrigo, and that sentiment is shared by groups representing bakers and other companies that use wheat to make products like bread and biscuits.
Brazil’s biosecurity agency CTNBio is evaluating a request to approve the sale in Brazil of genetically modified wheat produced in Argentina, and a decision on the matter could be taken next week.
Abitrigo’s Barbosa said the entire wheat supply chain is worried about the request for approval of GMO wheat here, adding that companies have concerns related to the effects of transgenic wheat on the health of consumers.
“There is no country in the world that accepts the import of GMO wheat. Brazil would be the first,” Barbosa said. “We don’t want to be the guinea pigs.”
Brazil imports 60% of the wheat that is consumed domestically, with 80% of the imports coming from Argentina, Barbosa said. He added Brazil could increase non-GMO wheat imports from Uruguay, Paraguay and also buy wheat from the United States, Canada and Russia in order to avoid buying GMO wheat currently being grown in Argentina.
Argentina-based Bioceres SA BIOX.BA developed a wheat that has been genetically modified to resist drought, and is now being planted on 55,000 hectares, according to public disclosures.
While Argentina has approved the commercialization of Bioceres’ HB4 GMO wheat, exports will depend on Brazil granting import authorization.
(Reporting by Ana Mano and Nayara Figueiredo; Editing by David Gregorio)
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