GMO Corn Ban Deadline to Be Extend One Year

Among this week’s top stories, the Mexican government proposed to extend the deadline for the ban of GMO yellow corn until 2025. Meanwhile, Sol Ortíz spoke about the importance of plant breeding as a strategy to face climate change in an international seminar. 

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Mexico to Extend Deadline on GMO Corn Ban Until 2025

President López Obrador proposed to extend the deadline for the ban of GMO yellow corn until 2025, a year later than previously expected. The new proposal aims to postpone the implementation of the ban so that health regulators from both countries have enough time to jointly investigate the possible health effects of transgenic yellow corn. Raquel Buenrostro, Minister of Economy, reported that the news had already been sent to the office of the Commercial Representative of the US government, as well as to the Department of Commerce and other key actors in the agro-industrial sector such as Cargill and Bayer. Juan Anaya, Director, Mexican Agricultural Markets Consulting Group (GCMA), said the ban’s postponement was good news for Mexico’s corn purchasing sectors, international producers and export players. However, Angus R. Kelly, Director of Public Policy, the US Corn Growers Association, stated that extending the deadline would also extend the uncertainty for America’s corn growers.

Mexico Promotes Plant Breeding in Agriculture

During the seminar "The  Role of Plant Breeding and Plant Variety Protection to Enable Agriculture to Mitigate and Adapt to Climate Change," in Geneva, Switzerland, Sol Ortíz, General Director of Policies, Prospecting and Climate Change, Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) stressed the importance of plant breeding resources for agriculture, food security, nutrition, adaptation and mitigation, ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, pollination, pest and disease control as well as the provision of food and fibers.

SADER, Chapingo to Promote Sustainable Management

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) signed a collaboration agreement with the Autonomous University of Chapingo (UACh). The alliance seeks to enhance research, innovation and sustainable management of Mexico’s soil and water resources. “This agreement will strengthen the work done by SADER so far under the National Soil Strategy for Sustainable Agriculture. I am sure that Chapingo will contribute significantly to these tasks and in improving the economic, social, cultural and quality of life conditions of the rural population,” said Areli Cerón, Director of the Soil and Water Unit, SADER.

Gruma, CIMMYT Campaign for Food Security in Campeche

Global food company Gruma and the International Corn and Wheat Centre (CIMMYT) announced their alliance to promote Campeche 500, a joint initiative that aims to boost the local production of white corn in the state of Campeche. The program’s goal is to harvest 500ha of white corn to encourage the production of high-quality local products. Campeche 500 will implement the INIFAP Technological Package, which involves irrigation opportunities and pest management techniques. 

Collaboration Needed to Improve Mexican Food Production, Quality

Mexico is a strategic market in Latin America, with corn being its main production crop. The country is the third-biggest corn market in the region and the seventh-largest corn producer worldwide, with annual production of 27 million tons. Currently, producers face different challenges, including the constant pressure from climate change, workforce shortages, demand to produce more from the same territorial extension, cost increases and the growing population that requires more food. In order to face these challenges Syngenta Seeds has the objective of developing solutions that support producers.