Food & Beverage News: Top Stories - India likely to have Golden Rice by 2013

The Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) said it was preparing to release the GM rice known as Golden Rice for commercial cultivation in India by 2013.

IRRI director general Robert Ziegler said in New Delhi that the Golden Rice had been genetically modified to have large amount of nutrition. He said the rice helped combat Vitamin A deficiency. Ziegler said since the Golden Rice was more nutritious, there was possibility that farmers would command good price. Besides, Golden Rice would cost no more than other rice to the farmers and consumers. Due to its enormous potential to benefit public health, the technology behind Golden Rice has been donated by its inventors.

Golden Rice would be available to farmers and consumers only after it has been authorised by the agriculture, environment, health, and food safety agencies of their countries. Public health officials, non-government organisations, grain traders, and private industry will be consulted in each country before Golden Rice is introduced.

Golden Rice is being bred into local rice varieties in the Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. National agricultural research institutes in these countries are testing Golden Rice to make sure that it grows just like other rice crops, with comparable yields and pest resistance, and the same environmental impacts.

Golden Rice can be planted, harvested, threshed, and milled like current rice varieties.