Reading Time: 2 minutes Beijing | Reuters — China approved two new varieties of genetically modified (GMO) crops for import from Monday, after the world’s top buyer of GMO soybeans pledged to speed up a review of biotech products as part of a recent trade deal with the U.S. The approvals of new GMO imports follow an agreement on […] Read more
China approves two new GMO varieties for import, renews 14
EU to propose 10-year licence renewal for glyphosate
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels | Reuters — The European Commission will propose extending by 10 years its approval for glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday. A transatlantic row over possible risks to human health has prompted investigations by congressional committees in the U.S., and in Europe has forced a delay to […] Read more
Bayer to sell Liberty brands to get Monsanto deal passed
Reading Time: 2 minutes Frankfurt | Reuters –– Bayer has agreed to sell its Liberty herbicide and LibertyLink-branded seeds businesses to win antitrust approval for its acquisition of Monsanto, it said on Monday. The divestment of the two global brands, a requirement imposed by South Africa’s Competition Commission on Sunday, will account for the bulk of asset sales worth […] Read more
Monsanto halts sale of Precision Planting arm to Deere
Reading Time: 2 minutes Monsanto subsidiary The Climate Corp. has cancelled a deal to sell its Precision Planting business to Deere and Co., citing the months-long court fight against it. The U.S. Department of Justice filed suit in August last year to block the proposed US$190 million deal, alleging the deal would lead to higher prices for high-speed precision […] Read more
Glyphosate clears Health Canada re-evaluation
Reading Time: 2 minutes Crop protection companies selling glyphosate have two years to make minor changes to parts of their product labels, as the 43-year-old herbicide formally clears Health Canada’s re-evaluation process. The re-evaluation, launched in late 2009 in a standard federal practice for registered pesticides in Canada, has ruled that products containing glyphosate — when used following the […] Read more
New study on glyphosate to feed into crucial EU vote
Reading Time: 3 minutes London | Reuters — Results of a new animal study into possible health risks of glyphosate will be published in time to inform a key EU re-licensing vote due by the end of 2017, according to the researcher leading the trial. A row over possible effects of glyphosate — an ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup […] Read more
EU nations vote against GM crops, but not enough to block them
Reading Time: 2 minutes Brussels | Reuters — A majority of EU countries voted on Monday against allowing two new genetically modified crops to be grown in Europe, batting the contentious decision on GM cultivation in Europe back to the EU executive. EU governments were asked to vote on the future of two grades of GM maize, Pioneer’s 1507 […] Read more
Final words on dicamba
The big concern for herbicide companies is to keep Xtend technology for years to come
Reading Time: 4 minutes In farming circles, 2017 may be remembered for a profound addition to our technology with the launch of the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybean system and its companion herbicides, XtendiMax with VaporGrip technology and Engenia. Long anticipated, the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend Crop System brings with it the potential to solve many issues with glyphosate-resistant […] Read more
EU chemical agency says glyphosate not carcinogenic
Reading Time: 2 minutes Helsinki | Reuters — Glyphosate, the key ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup herbicide, should not be classified as a substance causing cancer, the European Chemical Agency concluded on Wednesday, potentially paving the way for its licence renewal in the EU. A transatlantic row over possible risks to human health has prompted investigations by congressional committees in […] Read more
Monsanto ghostwrote Roundup studies, plaintiffs in U.S. suit say
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Employees of Monsanto ghostwrote scientific reports that U.S. regulators relied on to determine that a chemical in its Roundup herbicide does not cause cancer, farmers and others suing the company claimed in court filings. The documents, made public Tuesday, are part of a mass litigation in federal court in San Francisco claiming Monsanto […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
