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US companies announce plans for gene-edited strawberries

The two privately-held companies say genetically modified strawberries will help reduce waste and make them available to consumers much of the year.
Credit: AP
Gene-edited strawberry plants grow in a J.R. Simplot Company greenhouse in Boise, Idaho, on Oct. 22, 2021. On Thursday, Oct. 28, the company announced a deal with California-based Plant Sciences Inc. to grow genetically modified strawberries that taste better, stay fresh longer and have a longer growing season. (AP Photo/Keith Ridler)

BOISE, Idaho — An Idaho company that successfully brought genetically modified potatoes to the market has announced an agreement to help a California-based plant breeding company grow strawberries they say will stay fresh longer and have a longer growing season. 

J.R. Simplot Company and Plant Sciences Inc. said Thursday they expect to launch the first commercially available, gene-edited strawberries within a few years. U.S. growers produced $2.2 billion in strawberries in 2020, but consumers discarded an estimated 35% of the crop due to spoilage. 

The two privately-held companies say genetically modified strawberries will help reduce waste and make them available to consumers much of the year.

Read the full AP story here.

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