China delays GM crop certificate renewal  

3轉基因作物安全證書未獲批復

國僅有的轉基因主糧作物——兩個轉基因水稻作物的安全證書，以及一個轉基因玉米作物的安全證書，在今年8月17日同時過期。昨日在位處廊坊的中國農科院萬莊試驗基地，中國農科院生物技術研究所研究人員稱，轉基因玉米作物安全證書在等待地方農業廳批復。記者另外從多渠道獲悉，研發轉基因水稻的華中農大已經向農業部遞交續申請，但過了8月17日節點仍未得到批復。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- China's developers of certified genetically modified (GM) rice and corn have yet to obtain renewed safety certificates nearly 20 days after the old ones expired, the Beijing News reported.

The safety certificates for two kinds of GM rice and one type of Monsanto brand GM corn - the only three types of GM food that still had national GM certificates - expired on August 17.

The Biotechnology Research Institute at the China Academy of Agricultural Sciences, which developed certified GM corn, said they had submitted documents to the Shandong provincial agriculture department, which must approve all field experiments there.

A departmental officer surnamed Tan noted that he was aware that these documents had been issued, but would not say why they had not been accepted.

Team researchers said they have been preparing to renew certificates since the end of last year, but haven't submitted the application to the Ministry of Agriculture due to a lack of necessary documents.

However, the Wuhan-based Huazhong Agricultural University, which developed certified GM rice, said last month that they had submitted documents to the ministry long before the expiration date, but the application had still not been approved.

The deadline for submitting GM certificate applications to the ministry in the second half of each year is September 30, and the ministry is required to notify applicants about whether their applications have been accepted within two months.

Huang Dafang, researcher at the Biotechnology Research Institute, and also a member of the country's GM organisms safety committee, said some officials are cautious about the issue and have delayed the procedure because of public opinion.

Cai Jingjing, another researcher at the institute, said the slowed pace of industrialization could discourage research.