The event was attended by Director of the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the NAS of Belarus Valentina Lemesh, Deputy Director for Scientific and Innovative Work of the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the NAS of Belarus Yelena Guzenko and Head of the National Biosafety Coordination Centre Galina Mozgova.
As Director of the Institute of Genetics and Cytology of the NAS of Belarus Valentina Lemesh noted at the press conference, Belarus is not involved yet in creating a transgenic potato variety for the market. "The transgenic potatoes, obtained at the Institute of Genetics and Cytology, is intended for research. The Belarusian genetically modified potatoes won’t come to the market in the near future, the same can be said about procurement of transgenic varieties abroad," Valentina Lemesh emphasized. The Institute of Genetics and Cytology has a special laboratory for detection of GMO. "Imported corn, soybeans and their products, as well as animal feed are subject to total inspection. We haven’t got any data that genetically modified potatoes may be imported to us," Valentina Lemesh noted.
In turn, Head of the National Biosafety Coordination Centre Galina Mozgova said that over the past five years the content of genetically modified components in the tested soybean and corn hasn’t exceeded 2%.
