US may grow medicine producing rice

<p>If the plan goes ahead, the rice will be grown in Kansas. The company implementing the plan, Ventria Bioscience, wants to grow rice modified to produce human proteins on more than 3,000 acres of farmland in the area.<br /><br />The pharmaceutical rice would be harvested and refined for use in medicines but the idea has provoked some critics to raise safety concerns. <br /><br />Some environmentalists and food groups warn the proteins could find their way into the food chain, causing medical reactions or allergies. But the company has said it would take precautions to ensure the seeds did not mix with other crops.<br /><br />The department has said that that planting the rice poses virtually no risk. This is because no commercial rice is grown in Kansas and Ventria will use equipment, storage and processing facilities to prevent seeds from mixing with other crops. <br /><br />Critics have suggested that there are problems with the plan including large weather events such as tornadoes and human error in transporting and handling the rice.<br /><br />The public has until March 30 to submit comments to the Department of Agriculture. If final approval is granted, Ventria will begin planting rice in April or May.</p>