(ECNS) -- The Ministry of Agriculture said it is working with some departments to make it a criminal act to cultivate unlicensed genetically modified crops in China.
A research institute in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was found growing GM corn, sparking concerns about a management loophole in a still highly controversial technology in China. The 133-hectare cornfield in the region's Altay prefecture was uprooted.
Lin Xiangming, director of the GM Crop Biosafety and Copyright Office at the ministry, said the Xinjiang research institute used seeds smuggled from abroad to grow the corn commercially.
Lin said it's also possible that some GM crop seeds could leak into the market during test cultivations.
The ministry has a telephone number and a special email that allows the public to report suspicious GM crops.
The ministry also keeps a close eye on several leading companies that are able to grow GM crops, but still lacks enforcement, added Lin.
China has no criminal law dealing with GM issues, so the ministry is working with other departments to bring illicit businesses involved in GM crops under legal jurisdiction to control the spread of malpractice.
Wan Jianmin, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, said the country has issued biosafety certificates to 124 domestically made GM strains, all cotton, and six from abroad.
The ministry urged local authorities to increase supervision of crop seeds, and said that it will also conduct spot checks.
