© Henry Romero / Reuters
A farmer holds corn cobs near other farmers and activists protesting against Monsanto in downtown Mexico City
The US agrochemical company Monsanto said Mexico's agriculture sanitation authority SENASICA had revoked its permit to commercialize genetically modified soy in seven states. The company criticized the decision as unjustified. According to Monsanto, the permit had been withdrawn on unwarranted legal and technical grounds. It has warned that it would take the necessary steps to safeguard its rights and those of farmers using the technology.

Mexican newspaper Reforma cited a SENASICA document saying the permit was revoked due to the detection of transgenic Monsanto soya in areas where it was not authorized. Monsanto rejected the argument, claiming the authorities had not analyzed how the soy on which their decision was based was sown.