Brazilian farmers are set to nearly double the area planted with transgenic sugarcane in the season starting this month, the world’s main supplier of the genetically modified (GMO) crop, Centro de Tecnologia Canavieira (CTC), told Reuters.

CTC estimates that new cane varieties resistant to stem-boring insects will cover 70,000 hectares in the 2022/23 crop cycle, up from 37,000 hectares last year in Brazil, one of the biggest sugar producers in the world.

Brazil’s GMO cane fields are still just a fraction of the planted area in the country, which totaled 8.2 million hectares (20.2 million acres) in the last harvest, but the planting estimates, which CTC rarely shares, underscore dramatic growth.

The company has developed four commercial varieties of transgenic cane so far, with new options allowing for planting in poorer soil, which would open up far more of the market.

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The company is also trying to develop an herbicide-resistant transgenic sugarcane, which may be ready for launch in a couple of years. [CTC commercial director Luiz] Paes highlighted that its commercial use would hinge on regulatory approvals.

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