WASHINGTON — The US Agriculture Department ordered seed
dealers last week not to sell a long-grain rice seed that may contain a genetic
modification not approved for planting.
USDA issued "emergency action notifications" to distributors
to prevent planting of Clearfield CL131 seed. Similar orders will be issued to
farmers to prevent use of the seed until USDA’s Animal and Plant Health
Inspection tests the rice.
Arkansas state officials say the Clearfield variety
apparently carries the Liberty Link RICE601 gene material, a GMO strain made by
Bayer CropScience. The rice variety disrupted the U.S. rice industry in the
summer of 2006 after the material, which was not cleared for food use, was found
in commercial bins in Arkansas and Missouri.
BASF Agricultural Products, said late on Monday, that it is
removing all Clearfield CL131 rice seed from the marketplace. BASF Agricultural
is a unit of German chemical group BASF AG.
APHIS Administrator Ron DeHaven said his agency acted
"because the genetic material detected in Clearfield CL131 seed might be
regulated, in which case it would not be approved for commercial use." USDA was
informed last week of the potential problem by BASF, which developed the seed,
and by Ag Horizon, licensed by BASF to market the seed.
"BASF notified the USDA immediately after becoming aware of
the laboratory findings and we continue to work cooperatively with USDA on this
situation," Andy Lee, a director with BASF said in a statement.
Clearfield 131 was not developed as a genetically engineered
variety. It is popular among U.S. rice growers because it is resistant to red
rice weed.
USDA, through its own testing, is in the process of
confirming the results reported by BASF, said DeHaven.
BASF said it remains committed to the Clearfield technology
and is working with Bayer CropScience to "determine the scope and source of the
GM presence in Clearfield seed."
Last week, APHIS said trace levels of a previously deregulated genetically
engineered trait had been identified in Clearfield CL131.
