Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) examined the benefits of genetic manipulation of plants at a recent seminar held in Hanoi.
“The development and application of advanced bio-technology in Vietnam through 2020 is a key programme, aiming to create new varieties of plants and animals that provide high yields, good quality and economic efficiency,” the Vietnam Business News reported MARD science director Trieu Van Hung as saying.
It is estimated that modified plants added an extra US$52 billion in value between1996 to 2008, with half of the value coming from reduced production costs and the other half from increased output.
ISAAA President Dr Clive James told the Vietnam Business News that the benefits of genetically modified plants were clear–increasing both output and people’s incomes, protecting biodiversity, the environment and the climate.
Source: Vietnam Business News
