Approvals cover imports for use in food, animal feed
遺伝子組み換え作物に厳しい態度をとっているEUが、一部輸入を認める決断をしたと言うんですね。
BRUSSELS, July 28 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Wednesday approved six genetically modified (GM) maize varieties for import to the bloc in a sign of its desire to speed up European Union decisions on the controversial technology.
トウモロコシ6品種。
One of the decisions renewed a previous EU approval for the insect-resistant Bt11 maize -- developed by Swiss-based biotech company Syngenta (SYNN.VX) -- which expired in 2007.
一つはスイスのバイオテクノロジー会社の害虫に強いヤツ。一度承認されて期限ギレになっていた。
One of the five was also developed by Syngenta; two were developed jointly by subsidiaries of U.S. chemical companies DuPont (DD.N) and Dow Chemical (DOW.N); and a further two were developed by Monsanto (MON.N). (Reporting by Charlie Dunmore, editing by Jane Baird)
In response to a motion filed by Monsanto in 2009, the U.S. District Court here ruled that the Roundup Ready® license agreements between DuPont and Monsanto contain an unwritten ("implied") term that prohibits DuPont (NYSE: DD) from stacking its Optimum® GAT® trait with Monsanto's Roundup Ready® trait in soybeans or corn. Describing its ruling as "narrow," the court also emphasized that DuPont's separate antitrust and patent fraud claims were not impacted by its ruling and would, therefore, proceed.
"This litigation is just beginning; we will now vigorously pursue our antitrust, license and patent fraud claims," said DuPont Senior Vice President and General Counsel Thomas L. Sager.
News that the Justice Department was seeking information on market access to the Roundup Ready trait comes a week after rival DuPont specifically asked U.S. regulators to gain assurances from Monsanto regarding the Roundup Ready trait access. The trait is a genetic alteration that Monsanto developed to make soybeans withstand treatment of Monsanto's Roundup herbicide.
Seed dealers, rivals and others have complained that Monsanto was creating conditions, through contracts with seed dealers and other means, that would unfairly push farmers to buy its new Roundup Ready 2 Yield soybeans and away from the first-generation, lower-priced Roundup Ready beans.
Carl Casale, Monsanto EVP of strategy and operations, explains the background behind Monsanto's May 4, 2009 lawsuit against DuPont for patent infringement.
Among those reasons the report cites: Vilsack has repeatedly demonstrated a preference for large industrial farms and genetically modified crops;[21] as Iowa state governor, he originated the seed pre-emption bill in 2005, effectively blocking local communities from regulating where genetically engineered crops would be grown; additionally, Vilsack was the founder and former chair of the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership, and was named Governor of the Year by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, an industry lobbying group.
The Monsanto Company, the world’s largest seed producer, said on Thursday that the Justice Department had formally requested information on its herbicide-tolerant soybean seed business as part of an investigation into anticompetitive practices.
The company said in a statementthat the Justice Department was seeking confirmation that competitors and farmers would have access to the seed, first-generation Roundup Ready, after the patent expired in 2014.
Monsanto will not block seed makers from creating generic versions of any of its gene-modified seeds as they lose patent protection, the chief executive, Hugh Grant, said. Starting in 2015, farmers can replant Roundup Ready soybeans saved from the last year’s harvest, and rival seed makers can create their own Roundup-tolerant seeds.
Net sales fell 36% to $1.7 billion from $2.6 billion, primarily as a result of fewer glyphosate-based herbicide sales in Brazil and Europe. The company sells most of its herbicide under the Roundup brand name.
The company has taken a huge hit from an oversupply of glyphosate-based herbicides in the global market, forcing Monsanto to slash prices to compete with rivals.
除草剤の供給過剰にやられている。価格競争に巻き込まれて値下げさせられている。
But what surprised analysts most were weaker-than-expected revenue in its seeds business -- primarily due to a timing shift in its Mexico corn business and fewer sales in Latin America, where Argentina has been dealing with drought.
For the most recent quarter, Monsanto's seeds and genomics segment saw its profit fall 12% from a year ago to $597 million on sales of $1 billion, off 6%.
モンサントの種子、ゲノム分野は利益が12%下落。売上は6%落ちた。
In its agricultural-productivity segment, which includes Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides, profit plunged 84% to $172 million on sales of $666 million, down 57%.
ラウンドアップ等除草剤を扱う農業生産性部門は、なんと、利益が84%、売上は57%も落っこちた。
Monsanto has made no secret that Roundup, once the company's primary profit driver, will no longer play a pivotal role in its future growth. Instead, the company is investing in its seeds-trait business to develop next-generation corn, soy and wheat crops that can withstand droughts, pests and herbicides, as well as provide greater yields.
TOKYO (Reuters) - The average Japanese ate 0.6 percent more rice in March than a year earlier, a survey showed on Thursday, marking the biggest rise in three years in the wake of a series of price hikes for bread, noodles and other food.
An Agriculture Ministry survey of 8,340 households showed rice consumption per person was an estimated 4.91 kg in March, compared with 4.88 kg a year earlier and 4.58 kg in February
World rice prices have almost trebled this year, but the price that Japanese consumers pay for a 5 kg bag of rice has held around 2,000 yen to 2,500 yen ($19-$24), due to heavy restrictions on imports and government intervention to maintain supplies.
Instead of importing rice, Japan heavily subsidises its rice farmers, paying them as much as four times the market price and restricting imports.
日本では国際市価の4倍も米作農家に補助金を出している。そして輸入を制限。
Food security is seen as politically important and the country keeps a large stockpile of rice - even though it is probably wealthy enough to buy on the international market even if prices continue to rise.