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Sri Lanka’s agricultural biotechnology policies remain unchanged. Over the past year, there has been no progress in the approval of its draft Biosafety Act, which establishes a system to protect biodiversity, the environment and human, plant and animal health while minimizing the risks of biotechnology.

Kazakhstan has not announced any changes to its biotechnology policies. Major challenges like climate change, variable weather, monocropping wheat, and the reliance on Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member biotechnology regulations could be a future catalyst for Kazakhstan to develop its own biotechnology law.

In 2024, the Pakistan government issued revised Biosafety Rules and Regulations, creating a system to request genetically engineered (GE) commodity imports for food, feed, and processing (FFP). As of mid-October 2024, importers had submitted several applications to import GE soybeans for FFP.

Over the past two decades, India’s political landscape continues to hinder the developments in agriculture biotechnology. Bt cotton (Bacillus thuringiensis) approved in 2002 remains the sole biotech-derived crop approved for commercial cultivation.

India remains undecided on genetically engineered (GE) crops and products derived from biotechnology (biotech) for food and feed use.

On December 7, 2023, the Veterinary Service at the Ministry of Agriculture of the Kyrgyz Republic informed the U.S. Department of Agriculture in writing that they will no longer accept the U.S. Department of Agriculture's, Food Safety Inspection Service, 9060-5 Meat and Poultry Export Certificate of Wholesomeness. USDA is actively working to resolve this issue.

Bangladesh is pursuing advanced biotechnological crop research. In June 2023, the Bangladesh Academy of Science submitted a “Standard Operating Procedures for Research and Release of Genome Edited Plants of Categories SDN-1 and SDN-2 in Bangladesh”...

Sri Lanka does not produce genetically engineered (GE) crops or animals. There is some GE research at the laboratory level, but there is no commercialization. The lack of a legal framework and biosafety procedures are a major setback; the country...

The Department of Plant Protection (DPP) stopped imports of genetically engineered (GE) soybeans and canola in late October 2022. DPP said that importers needed an import license from the Ministry of Climate Change (MOCC).

Kazakhstan has not announced any changes to its biotechnology policies. Major challenges like climate change, variable weather, monocropping wheat, and the reliance on Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member biotechnology regulations could be a future catalyst for Kazakhstan to develop its own biotechnology law.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka’s (Sri Lanka) Ministry of Health recently amended the Food (Control of Import, Labeling, and Sale of Genetically Modified Foods) Regulations (2006).

On November 21, 2022, the Government of India’s Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified its draft notification F.No. 1/Standards/GMO&F/Misc/FSSAI/2018 (November 18, 2022).