HANOI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Among some 50 corn varieties currently used in Vietnam, 16 are genetically modified, local media reported Wednesday.
The genetically modified corns have been approved by the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, daily newspaper Tuoi Tre Thanh Pho Ho Chi Minh (Ho Chi Minh City Youth) reported.
To date, some 200 tons of genetically modified corns have been sold in the Vietnamese market, Tran Xuan Dinh, deputy head of the ministry's Cultivation Department, said, noting that Vietnam currently has over 1 million hectares of genetically modified corns.
According to Dinh, genetically modified corn's yield is 25 percent higher than ordinary corn. Besides, genetically modified corn can resist some kinds of pests.
However, it is difficult to expand genetically modified corn areas, because prices of genetically modified corn seeds are much higher than those of cross-bred corn seeds, while selling prices of genetically modified corn is low now, he said.
