Global round-up

10 February 2000



Global round-up

• Monsanto drops New Zealand GM wheat trial
  
  Monsanto is withdrawing its application for New Zealand field trials of genetically modified wheat, saying it is clear New Zealanders want more time to consider the technology.

• Radical Polish farm leader attacks US pig giants
  
  Farmers union leader Andrzej Lepper claims US company SmithField Foods Inc plans to dominate the Polish pig market and push small producers out.

• Vote of confidence for Delta
  
  Leading investment company Merrill Lynch has re-instated its coverage of Delta&Pine Land, describing it as the one independent agritech company which could escape most of the biotech controversy.

• Pig farmers eye Denmark with alarm
  
  MOST of Denmarks pigs have painlessly made the transition to a diet without growth-promoting antibiotics, says the Danish pig industry. But if the rest of Europe followed suit, the cost would be crippling.

• US rice growers set GM crop apart
  
  IN response to the growing controversy over genetically modified foods, the California rice industry has decided that the GM variety will be separated every step of the way from conventional rice.

• Greaves to divest tractor business
  
  GREAVES Ltd has proposed to divest its tractor business to a joint venture with Same Deutz Fahr SPA of Italy as the partner

• Ireland reports 14 new cases of BSE
  
  IRELANDS BSE figures for January show 14 cases of the disease, one more than the same time last year.

• 
  India and Mongolia sign seed pact
  
  INDIA and Mongolia have signed a Work Plan for exchange of seed samples, scientific and technical information and training-cum-study visits.

• US GM crop sites under attack
  
  OPPONENTS of genetically engineered foods have staged night attacks on university and corporate research sites in at least 18 incidents and seven states since July.

• Hungarian premier says country ready for EU in 2001
  
  HUNGARIAN prime minister Viktor Orban is confident that his country will be totally ready to join the EU by the end of 2001.