UK looks set to call for EU relaxation on GM crops

British prime minister, David Cameron, has come out in support of relaxing the rules governing GM crops. At present, small-scale trials are in operation in the UK but the use of GM ingredients such as grains in human foods is banned.

Speaking to entrepreneurs and businessmen at a pre-G8 event in east London, Cameron said, “In the terms of the openness to innovation I would argue that we need to ensure a pro-science culture.

“I think there are a number of subjects there that we need to take on, I think it is time to look again at the whole issue for GM food. We need to be open to arguments from science.”

The comments come ahead of environment secretary, Owen Paterson's speech on Thursday which will reportedly call for EU restrictions on the cultivation of GM crops to be relaxed.

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English: David Cameron's picture on the 10 Downing Street website (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

04/03/13: Milling in 1889; rice milling in Pakistan; UK and GM feed

We start the week with a blast from the past. 1889 in fact. These photos from Victoria in British Columbia, Canada show an rice mill in action. 

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The struggling rice milling industry in Sindh, Pakistan is to receive financial aid from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and the Sindh Enterprise Development Fund (SEDF). The State Bank of Pakistan has agreed to extend the credit finance to commercial banks for onward lending to rice millers at 6.25 percent in a bid to prop up the ailing industry.

SEDF will deposit 30 percent of the principal amount with the SBP as credit guarantee and will earn a profit, as well. Of this, SEDF will pick up 6.25 percent due to rice millers and payable to the SBP to support rice millers.
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Food prices will rise quicker unless Britain embraces GM food, says the British Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson. Speaking at the National Union of Farmers conference, Paterson told delegates that a delay on GM crops could push up food prices. However, 85 percent of meat consumed in Britain was fed of GM soy maize for cost reasons.
Read Paterson's speech in full...

English: Boiled Rice (Photo credit: Wikipedia)