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ASA Welcomes South Korean Regulatory Approvals for New Soybean Traits
February 27, 2009…Saint Louis, Missouri… The American Soybean Association
(ASA) welcomes today’s announcements that two new biotech-enhanced soybean
varieties, the Roundup Ready 2 Yield™ Soybean (MON 89788) from Monsanto
and the LibertyLink® soybeans (A2704-12) from Bayer CropScience have both
achieved additional import approval milestones from Korean regulatory
agencies that pave the way for commercialization in the United States.
"The American Soybean Association recognizes the
efforts of South Korean regulators to move forward with authorizations for
these new soybean varieties,” said ASA President Johnny Dodson, a producer
from Halls, Tenn. “These approvals are critical to U.S. soybean growers
and to our soybean and soybean product customers in South Korea.”
The Roundup Ready 2 Yield Soybean received food safety approval from the
Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) today, Feb. 27, 2009. The
approval from KFDA, along with the environmental safety authorization
received from the Rural Development Administration (RDA) on Jan. 19,
completes a 2-year regulatory review process in Korea. As such, and
together with other previous obtained approvals, there are no longer any
requirements for planting and movement stewardship restrictions on
soybeans with the Roundup Ready 2 Yield trait in the United States.
LibertyLink Soybeans also reached another milestone in South Korea with
the approval by RDA on Feb. 25. The LibertyLink Soybean
application now moves into the final stages for approval under KFDA. This
will include a 20-day public comment period.
“We are optimistic this latest development indicates full import approval
is likely very soon,” Dodson said.
LibertyLink Soybeans are fully approved for food, feed and cultivation in
the United States and Canada and approved for import into Australia,
China, the European Union, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines,
Russia, South Africa and Taiwan.
"ASA has worked in partnership with Bayer CropScience and Monsanto to
educate foreign buyers on biotechnology and for regulatory clearances of
these new traits,” Dodson said.
ASA has also worked closely with the South Korean industry for approval of
these new soybean traits. In January, ASA Board member and ASA Biotech
Working Group member Ron Moore traveled to South Korea to join American
Soybean Association International Marketing (ASA-IM) South Korea Director
Say Young Jo and representatives of U.S. Grains Council, the North
American Export Grain Association and biotech company representatives for
meetings with South Korean feed industry representatives, soybean and corn
processors, and soy and corn product importers on the urgent need for
South Korea to complete its regulatory review and approvals.
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For more information contact:
Johnny Dodson, ASA President, (731) 225-1942, johnnydodson@bellsouth.net
Bob Callanan, ASA Communications Director, 314/576-1770, bcallanan@soy.org
Access this release at: www.soygrowers.com/newsroom/news.htm.
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