Porto Alegre, September 26, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The president of the Federation of Agriculture of Rio Grande do Sul (Farsul), Carlos Speroto, said today that 90% of the 11 million tons of soybeans estimated for the next harvest will be genetically modified. He affirmed that he sees no problems in the commitment form that farmers should complete, notifying the plantation of transgenics.

For Speroto, the next debate will be over royalty payments to Monsanto, the firm that holds the patent on genetically modified seeds. Speroto emphasized that the Provisional Measure (MP) that permits cultivation of transgenic soybeans is valid only for the 2003/2004 growing season, and that, what has not been planted or sold by December 31, 2004, will be incinerated, as stipulated in the MP. He pointed out, however, that he does not believe this will occur. (DAS)