Cotton production in Mexico plummets 33% due to seed shortage

ROBERTO MORALES. THE ECONOMIST. This textile fiber is the only commercially produced GMO crop in the country, but growers have faced a seed shortage since 2019 as the Mexican government continues to reject or delay new permits, the US Department of Agriculture reported. Cotton production in Mexico has plummeted 33% from its all-time high in 2018-2019, to 1 million 201,000 bales (261,000 tons), noted the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Mexico has not reported any official approval of biotech food or feed products since May 2018. Furthermore, Mexico has rejected or delayed all permit applications for the cultivation of transgenic cotton in 2019, citing the precautionary principle. “Cotton is the only transgenic crop planted in Mexico, and although production reached a record in the 2018/2019 marketing season, the lack of updated seed availability along with additional challenges in the sector has significantly reduced production (approximately a reduction 33%) and ...