GMO MAIZE TO HIT LOCAL SHORES

MBABANE – The next time you go to a shop to buy mealie meal, the chance of buying genetically modified mealie meal will no longer be close to zero.

This will be more so because one of Swaziland’s largest mealie meal producers, Premier Swazi, intends to import genetically modified maize into the country for commercial milling purposes.
The company, which already has a licence issued by the National Agricultural Marketing Board (NAMBoard) to import agricultural produce into the kingdom, is currently under environmental assessment by the Swaziland Environment Authority (SEA). 

In a correspondence received from Premier Swazi Site Manager David Nel, it was disclosed that the company wishes to import genetically modified white maize for the purpose of commercial milling.
In the document forwarded to the Business Desk by Nel, it was explained that an application for ‘import for food, feed, processing and placing on the market’ had already been submitted to SEA.
It was mentioned that the importation had been earmarked to start with effect from December 2017.

In the application which has been sourced from the SEA Bio Registrar’s office, the covering letter signed by Nel states that a seller’s invoice and copy of the Namboard had been attached to assist in processing the permit.
“We would hereby request a SEA permit so as to apply for Phyto Certificate in South Africa,” reads the letter which was stamped by the authority on November 29, 2017.
In the form attached to the application, it was explained that the GMO maize would be imported from South Africa. In terms quantity, it was stated that 1 500 metric tons of the genetically modified organism would be imported into the country.

The scientific name of the maize to be imported was explained to be Zea Mays.
In the space where a summary risk assessment report ought to have been included, it was only mentioned that there would be no perceived risk as full quantity would be milled.
The supplier of the maize was reported to be AFGRI SA with an address that states that they are based in Centurion, Gauteng in South Africa.

Under methods and plans for safe handling, storage, transport and use, including packaging, labelling, documentation, disposal and contingency procedures, it was explained that products would be transported in bulk directly to Premier Swazi site and discharged into premier’s bulk silos.

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