President Nazarbayev calls to develop GM crops in Kazakhstan

In his Address to the Nation today, President Nursultan Nazarbayev has commissioned the Government with developing drought-resistant and GM crops, Tengrinews reports. “Kazakhstan should bet on its agriculture-related research and launch pilot innovation-driven agriculture clusters. It is important to keep pace with the time, working on development of drought-resistant and GM crops. People tend to be afraid of anything they are not fully aware of. GM products are set to widely spread across the globe as the global demand for food is on the rise. GM products are not something inedible. On the contrary (…)”, President said. According to him, respective chemicals and new technology should be more widely applied in arid territories. “By 2030 in line with the national concept of shifting to the green economy, 18% of areas under crops should turn to water-saving technology that have proven effective in many parts of the world”, he said. With these tasks in mind, the President tasked the Government to adjust plans pertaining to the country’s agriculture.