NCGA Urges Farmers to Know Where to Go With Biotech Hybrids (9-6-05)
With some farmers
harvesting corn already and others preparing to harvest, the National
Corn Growers Association (NCGA) reminds farmers of the importance
of Know Where to Go, an outlet on the NCGA Web site that informs growers
of which hybrids are approved for European Union (EU) and Japanese
export.
“The biotech
industry is ever-changing,” said Paul Bertels, NCGA director
of biotechnology and business development. “Growers should always
be informed before they harvest and before they plant. If they are
harvesting biotech hybrids, farmers should check their sources for
the most up-to-date information.”
Bertels suggested
growers contact their marketing partners, local grain elevators, seed
companies or the NCGA Web site to learn more about which markets are
approved for biotech corn exports.
South Dakota grower
Darren Ihnen, chairman of the Biotechnology Working Group, said the
effects of a biotech shipment going to the wrong place could be devastating.
“We need
to make sure the corn gets to the correct markets,” Ihnen said.
“If a couple of growers ship corn to European Union or Japanese
markets that haven’t approved the corn, they can affect everyone’s
bottom lines. Those areas will be more suspect of our corn, and exports
could be affected in the future.”
NCGA urges farmers
to direct hybrids not approved for EU export into these markets: a
farmer’s own livestock rations; domestic livestock feeding channels;
or elevators accepting grain not yet approved for EU export. NCGA
suggests that growers visit the American Seed Trade Association Web
site, http://asta.farmprogress.com,
for more information about the grain facilities accepting hybrids
not yet approved for export to the EU.