February 9, 2011
UK to support EU plans on GM animal feed
The UK government is prepared to openly support EU plans to permit imports of animal feed consisting of genetically modified (GM) wheat and corn, according to a local report.
Consequently, British animal feed manufacturing firms may face increased competition from US exports if the new legislation is introduced.
The report suggests this will be a huge boost to US animal feed exporters, who were previously unable to get their products into Britain thanks to restrictions on the use of GM crops.
However, a loosening in the zero-tolerance approach to GM foodstuffs in the EU could allow British animal feed manufacturers to have access to GM raw materials in future.
This could ease the pressure on the supply of agricultural commodities, which in turn would reduce the overall cost of these raw materials.
The UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) recently warned that the cost of wheat and corn will continue to rise for the foreseeable future, as it has done for the last seven months.