A US District Court judge has denied a request for a permanent ban on Roundup Ready sugar beets, as it considers the impacts of a recent ruling on biotech alfalfa in the Supreme Court.
But US sugar beet growers will not be able to plant more genetically modified seeds after harvesting the GM crops already in the ground on more than 1 million acres (more than 404,000 hectares) across 10 states, until an environmental impact statement is submitted by the US Department of Agriculture.
However, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) may implement interim measures for planting GM sugar beets in the future until the statement is submitted, under the Supreme Court ruling.
The sugar beet industry said it would provide full support to allow full consideration of appropriate interim measures that allow continued production of Roundup Ready sugar beets.
This year's crop, of which 95 per cent is reportedly planted to GM sugar beets, will not be affected and sugar processed from the harvest will not be restricted from the market.
Sugar beets supply as much as half of the US's sugar, according to the Sugar Industry Biotech Council.
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