The Ministry of Agriculture commissioned the feeding experiment of transgenic rice rhesus monkeys

During this year's two sessions, a reporter from the Beijing Times (Weibo) blocked Agriculture Minister Han Changfu in the "ministerial channel" and asked whether GM rice would be approved for market this year. Han Changfu just smiled but said nothing.

The day before yesterday, Zhang Kai, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said at the site of China's first "Golden Rice" tasting meeting that the decision on the industrialization of GM rice should not rely on public opinion, but should follow laws and regulations and procedures. The Ministry of Agriculture, as the competent department, dared not make a decision is inaction, resulting in a missed opportunity for the industrialization of GM rice, and waiting for procrastination will be harmful to the country.

Lin Yongjun, a professor at Huazhong Agricultural University and head of the national major science and technology project "breeding new varieties of insect-resistant transgenic rice", revealed whether GM rice is safe or not. at present, the Ministry of Agriculture is entrusting China Agricultural University to do a 90-day feeding experiment on miniature pigs with genetically modified rice, and also entrusting the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences to do a rhesus monkey feeding experiment, which "belongs to primates and is very close to humans."

61 Academician calls for the industrialization of transgenic rice

In the afternoon the day before yesterday, the lecture hall of Huazhong Agricultural University Library, which could hold 300 people, was full.

"the current dilemma is that the development of national GM industrialization has stopped, and it is impossible to realize the industrialization of GM rice. I personally think that a great opportunity has been missed." The speaker, Academician Zhang Kai, said this to netizens wearing a "love science and support genetically modified" T-shirt.

Zhang Kai is currently dean of the School of Life Science and Technology of Huazhong Agricultural University and director of the State key Laboratory of crop genetic improvement. In 2009, the research team of Huazhong Agricultural University led by Zhang Qixi received two safety certificates for genetically modified rice issued by the Ministry of Agriculture, the only two in China so far. However, these two kinds of genetically modified rice are still on the market.

"what kind of attitude does the country's senior level hold towards the development of GM technology in China?" In this regard, Zhang Kai said he was not clear. He mentioned that 49 overseas experts wrote to the top officials of the country this summer to suggest promoting the industrialization of GM crops, which was understood to have "received a very positive response."

Almost at the same time, 61 academicians of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Sciences also submitted letters and suggestions to state leaders. Zhang Kai said: this time, the wording is urgent, analyzing the international and domestic situation, and thinking that it is urgent to promote the industrialization of GM rice, otherwise it will cause harm to the country.

Experts accuse the Ministry of Agriculture of "not doing enough"

"decision makers are not sure about this and dare not make a decision," says Zhang Kai. The biggest obstacle to the industrialization of GM rice lies in the government's lack of decision-making.

At present, Chinese people generally have doubts about genetically modified food. is it the current situation of public opinion that makes it difficult for the Ministry of Agriculture to make a decision? Zhang Kai believes that it is not wise to rely on public opinion in the decision-making of GM industrialization, and it should be done in accordance with national laws and regulations, followed by procedures, and amended if the laws and regulations are not correct, just as it is up to the referee to decide who wins or loses in the ball game, rather than depending on which side has more supporters.

At present, GM crops approved for commercial production in China include tomatoes with extended storage life, insect-resistant cotton, virus-resistant sweet pepper, morning glory with changed flower color, and virus-resistant papaya. Zhang Kai mentioned that all these have been successfully put into production after obtaining the safety certificate, only raising the threshold for rice, unable to carry out variety approval, and will not be able to get the production license and operation license needed for listing. "how can the genetically modified rice varieties start to be implemented? now the Ministry of Agriculture does not even have a way." Zhang Kai accused the Ministry of Agriculture of not doing enough.

Feeding experiment of Rhesus Monkey with transgenic Rice

As for the safety of genetically modified rice, there are "reversals" who question the fraud of the experiment and require it to be made public.

Lin Yongjun, a professor at Huazhong Agricultural University and head of the national major science and technology project "breeding new varieties of insect-resistant genetically modified rice," told the Beijing Times yesterday that these two safety certificates were very strict. Not only did 90-day feeding experiments on mice, but also three generations of reproduction experiments were done. The conclusions show that there is no difference between eating genetically modified rice and ordinary rice.

Lin Yongjun believes that truthfully publishing some basic experimental results is beneficial to allay the misgivings of the common people, but it should be released by the appraiser or the Ministry of Agriculture.

Some people have suggested that white mice "eat too little and are very different from people," and question that the experimental results cannot prove that people are safe to eat. Lin Yongjun revealed that at present, the Ministry of Agriculture is entrusting China Agricultural University to do a 90-day feeding experiment on miniature pigs with genetically modified rice. He also commissioned the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences to do macaque feeding experiments, which "belong to primates and are very close to humans."

Lin Yongjun also said that unlike food and medicine, there is no need to do human experiments before going on the market, but he has eaten genetically modified rice for 14 years since 1999 and is still in good health.