Origin Agritech Limited, a leading technology-focused supplier of crop seeds and agri-biotech research in China, today announced it has received the Bio-safety Certificate from the Ministry of Agriculture as a final approval for commercial approval of the world’s first genetically modified phytase corn.

London -- Farmers have grown a novel form of carrots that are 40 per cent richer in antioxidants and can boost vision compared to normal varieties. The superfood, which is set to hit the market next week, is 40pct rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant the body converts into vitamin A and boosts health.

Marker assisted selection technology from DNA Landmark of Canada was acquired by the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation to improve rice yield. The sub-license of this technology has been granted to the Malaysian Agriculture Research and Development Institute (MARDI) and will be used as part of its breeding program.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), EU's top food watch dog, issued a statement in 2007 on Bayer's application for the market authorization of its genetically modified herbicide-resistant LLRice62 for food/feed uses, import and processing in the European Union.

BRUSSELS -- EU farm ministers failed on Friday to agree whether to approve a genetically modified maize made by Swiss firm Syngenta, paving the way for default approval by the European Commission, an official said. Approval of the GMO maize type MIR604 is crucial for the resumption of imports of soybean and soymeal needed by livestock farmers, animal feed importers have said.

HARARE -- The Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) has called on the Government to allow farmers to plant Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) maize seed so as to increase harvest and counter imports. The Zimbabwe Telegraph reports.

SAO PAULO -- Brazil's biotechnology agency CTNBio said on Thursday it approved the commercial planting of a genetically modified soybean variety produced by Bayer (BAYGn.DE) that is resistant to glyphosate herbicide.

GM crops have a role to play in preventing mass starvation across the world caused by a combination of climate change and rapid population growth, a senior government scientist said yesterday.

Oil from genetically modified soybeans boosts levels of an important omega-3 fatty acid in the body, which may reduce the risk of heart attacks, U.S. researchers say. They created soybeans that produce oils rich in stearidonic acid (SDA), which is converted by the body into an omega-3 fatty acid called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

Herbicide-tolerant and disease-resistant crops could soon be grown in Europe following the discovery of a technique its developers claim should be classified as non-GMO. Developed by Cibus, in San Diego, the technique induces the plant to change the genetic code in its own DNA to produce new traits.