German Minister Brüderle kicks off Amflora harvest
BASF applies for EU approval for a second starch potato variety
The German Federal Minister of Economics and Technology, Rainer Brüderle, helped to start the harvesting of the Amflora potatoes in Zepkow in the German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Together with BASF’s Chairman Dr. Jürgen Hambrecht and Dr. Stefan Marcinowski, Member of BASF’s Board of Executive Directors responsible for plant biotechnology, the Minister harvested the first tubers of genetically modified starch potatoes. This year BASF has successfully grown 14 hectares at this site. Brüderle stressed that plant biotechnology can play an important role in the competitiveness and sustainability of European agriculture.
“Today is a special day for plant biotechnology in Germany. In the future, the technology promises to provide solutions for many challenges that we are facing, for instance providing an ample supply of renewable resources. German industry is playing in the international premier league with these innovative technologies, and we want to remain there,” said Minister Brüderle.
“We are celebrating two milestones. Firstly, we are starting to bring in the Amflora potato harvest and secondly, we applied for approval for our next starch potato, Amadea, in Brussels yesterday,” said Hambrecht. “I hope that Amadea will be available to European farmers in the very near future. Crops optimized through biotechnology should not just provide benefits to farmers in America and Asia. Our European farmers should also get access to innovative products so they can remain competitive on the global agricultural markets,” he added.
Like Amflora, Amadea produces pure amylopectin starch. Its agronomic properties and safety have been tested in field trials conducted over a number of years. BASF is expecting to launch the product in 2013/14 after receiving a positive safety assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Amadea is initially intended to complement Amflora cultivation and will later substitute BASF’s first starch potato.
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