Thailand to permit use of GMO crops

Thailand to permit use of GMO crops

BANGKOK: In a move that has drawn immediate criticism from some environmentalists, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has reversed the government's former ban on commercial trade in genetically modified (GM) crops, media reports said on Saturday.

The Thai cabinet is scheduled Tuesday to revoke a previous resolution passed on April 3, 2001 that effectively banned commercial use of GM crops except for research purposes, The Nation newspaper said.

Local use of GM foods has been opposed by Thai farmers, consumer protection groups and environmentalists, who argue that the proliferation of genetically modified varieties could adversely impact indigenous crops.

Thailand is the world's leading exporter of rice and a major exporter of other commercial crops such as sugar, cassava and tropical fruits.--DPA