Agriculture Ministry Growing Five Food Crops through Genetic Engineering

A researcher at the Indonesian agriculture ministry's Research and Development Agency (Litbangtan) says that the agency is developing genetically modified (GM) varieties of tomato, potato, papaya, rice, and cassava. The researcher, M. Herman, reports that "The commodities are being researched and they are expected to be ready for commercial use after five years." Herman said it will be a relatively long period before the GM crops are made commercially available because they have to be subjected to meticulous tests to ensure their food and environmental safety. He also commented that the development of GM soybeans, corn, and cotton has so far been dominated by multinational companies.