Gene-Altered Rubber Trials Planned in India as Ford, Suzuki Worsen Deficit
India, the largest natural-rubber user after China, plans to begin field trials of a genetically- modified variety as it seeks to overcome a shortage forecast by the industry to surge fivefold over the next decade.
The state-run Rubber Board will secure approvals from the states of Kerala and Maharashtra before planting 0.4 hectares, James Jacob, director of the Rubber Research Institute of India, said by e-mail. The trials were cleared last month by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee, a panel set up by the environment ministry, he said.
Global carmakers led by Ford Motor Co. are building plants in Asia’s second-fastest growing major economy where car sales are projected by the government to double to 3 million by 2015. Bridgestone Corp. and its Indian rivals are spending $3 billion on new capacities to meet demand forecast by the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association to expand 10 percent to 106 million tires in the year to March 31.
“Every country in the world needs natural rubber, a vital and strategic industrial raw material like iron and coal,” said Jacob. “Domestic requirement of rubber will increase as our GDP increases, and indications are that there will not be enough.”
Gene-altered rubber trees will be resistant to drought and tapping panel dryness, and have the ability to produce higher yields even under adverse weather conditions, said Jacob.
Prices in Tokyo, Thailand and China have climbed to records this year after persistent rain in the producing nations lowered output. In India, prices surpassed 200 rupees a kilogram last month for the first time.
India’s deficit may increase to 840,000 tons in 2020 from 175,000 tons next year, Vinod Simon, president of the All India Rubber Industries Association, said on Dec. 2. Consumption may climb to 1.89 million tons in 2020, from 930,000 tons this year, if the economy expands at 8.5 percent annually, the group said.
Brinjal
India has said it wants gene-modified technology to be part of efforts to raise output of staples, following the success of transgenic cotton introduced in 2002. Still, the government in February rejected the nation’s first gene-modified food, brinjal, or eggplant, after protests by farmers.
Gene-altered cotton represents 90 percent of the nation’s planting, according to the farm ministry. The country has moved from being a net buyer to the second-biggest grower and exporter.
To contact the reporter on this story: Thomas Kutty Abraham in Mumbai at tabraham4@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Poole at Jpoole4@bloomberg.net
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