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Sri Lanka does not produce genetically engineered (GE) crops or animals. Some GE research, however, occurs at the laboratory level, but that research does not reach commercialization.

India remains undecided on genetically engineered (GE) crops, despite its regulatory authorities clearing on the environmental release of GE eggplant and mustard events. Bt cotton (Bacillus thuringiensis) is the only biotech crop approved for commercial cultivation.

In the current marketing year running from July 2021 to June 2022, Korea’s fresh apple production and consumption are projected to rise by 13 percent after several years of gradual decline.

On November 15, 2021, Statistics Korea (KOSTAT) released a revised 2021 rice production estimate of 3.882 million metric tons (MMT), up an additional 1.6 percentage points from the initial rice production estimate in early September and up 10.7 percent from the previous year.

Korea is in the process of revising its existing Living Modified Organism (LMO) Act to cover products of innovative biotechnologies, including genome edited products.

Cotton continues to be the only genetically engineered (GE) crop approved for cultivation and use. Regulatory uncertainty prevents life science companies from seeking approval for any other GE crops, and the National Biosafety Committee is still developing regulations on imports of GE commodities intended for food, feed, and processing.

On November 3, 2021, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published Order No. 12014/01/2020-QA listing the testing fees for samples of various categories of food products.

On November 3, 2021, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified its Food Safety and Standards (Import) First Amendment Regulations (2021).

On September 6, 2021, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published the draft Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Amendment Regulations (2021) in the Gazette of India: Extraordinary (official gazette).

On October 22, 2021, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) published Direction F. No. REF/L&D-Extension/FSSAI-2021, extending the implementation date for Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Display) Regulations (2020), as well as for three other regulations.

On September 22, 2021, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued Notification No. F. No. Std/EC/T(NSF-01).

On September 6, 2021, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare/Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued Notification No. F. No. Std/SP-08/A-1.2020/N-01 to amend the Food Safety and Standards (Labeling and Display) Regulations (2020).