South African farmers weigh pros and cons of GM crops

Andre Kilian, a South African farmer, sees plenty of advantages to genetically modified (GM) crops, making him a rare voice on a continent where the technology has struggled to find favour. Opponents say GM foods have not been adequately tested and could pose unknown risks to human health.

But producers like Kilian say they hold many pluses, particularly in a region which regularly suffers from food shortages. "About 20% of my maize crop is GM. They help to increase your yields and reduce your input costs. If you have a crop that is resistant to being eaten by pests you don't have to spend money on spraying with insecticide," he said.

Africa's largest economy is bucking the trend on the continent as one of few nations to embrace the controversial gene-altering technology. The government has signalled it will reject activist calls for stricter controls on the sector. Market watchers say data suggests that about 20% of white and yellow maize seed sales in 2004/05 in South Africa were GM, although analysts believe the actual percentage that has been sown is lower than that.

Out on the lands, farmers are weighing the pro and cons. "I have controls on what I can sell. I must provide GM-free soya meal to a mill that provides foodstuffs to Woolworths department store chain) and all of my other crops, even my maize, must be GM-free," said Willem Jooste, a North West province farmer.

But apart from the feared health risks, there is another downside for farmers to becoming more GM-friendly. Countries in South Africa's neighbourhood, including Zimbabwe and Zambia, have banned GM imports, saying they could mix with indigenous crops. Many of these countries have also experienced chronic food shortages in recent years and South African maize has often been used to fill the gap.

If more South African farmers grow GM maize, they could therefore lose valuable export markets - something an ailing sector, battered by frequent price slumps, can ill afford. South Africa may also find some of its food products unwelcome in the European Union if it increasingly embraces gene technology. But Grain SA is by no means opposed to GMO hoping it will become more popular with time.

Reuters