Farmers angry as GM potato plan gets go-ahead

A GERMAN company was yesterday granted permission to plant a field with genetically-modified potatoes in County Meath.

BASF Plant Science will carry out trials on the one-acre site in Arodstown, Summerhill, over the next five years to determine if the GM potatoes have increased resistance to blight.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said the trials would be subject to strict conditions, with regular monitoring by inspectors.