ENDS Europe reports that GM maize (corn) crops are declining in the EU.

Drawing on a Plataforma Transgenicos Fora press release, ENDS notes how the popularity of GM maize – the main GM crop approved for cultivation in the European Union – is waning among cereal growers in the Iberian peninsular, according to data published this week. This is highly significant because Spain and Portugal accounted for almost 86% of the 94,700 hectares under GM cultivation in the EU in 2009.

GM maize (MON 810) cultivation in Portugal fell this year for the first time since the variety's commercial authorisation in 2005. 4,868 hectares were planted with GM maize this year, according to Portuguese agriculture ministry data, compared with a peak of over 5,200 hectares in 2009.

In Spain, 2010 has seen an 11% year-on-year drop to 67,726 hectares, the smallest area of GM maize cultivation since 2006, according to data from seed producers.

The figures are said to indicate that a significant percentage of producers who experiment with GM maize end up abandoning it.

Source: ENDS Europe: http://www.endseurope.com/25266
Transgenicos Fora: http://stopogm.net/webfm_send/460