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U.S. Corn Industry Leaders to Talk Biotech and Trade on EU Mission
June
4 , 2001
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact:
Mimi
Ricketts, Director of Marketing Communications, 636/733-9004, ext.112
David
Uchic, Manager, Washington, D.C., Communications, 202-628-7001
ST. LOUIS
(June 4, 2001) -- The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the
U.S. Grains Council (USGC) will field a joint mission to Europe the
week of June 10 to assess the status of the biotechnology debate there,
to convey the U.S. corn industry’s views about agricultural biotechnology
and to develop a biotechnology plan of action for the U.S. feed grains
industry.
A joint NCGA-USGC
delegation of three farmers and three staff members will visit Brussels,
Rotterdam, Geneva and Paris to meet with corn co-product importers,
European Commission officials, World Trade Organization ambassadors,
European news media, consumer groups and leaders of the French corn
growers association (Association Générale des Producteurs
de Maïs), among others.
Participating in
the mission are: Lee Klein, NCGA president and farmer from Battle Creek,
Neb.; Fred Yoder, NCGA Biotechnology Working Group chairman and Plain
City, Ohio farmer; Leon Corzine, NCGA Biotechnology Working Group member
and farmer from Assumption, Ill.; Rick Tolman, NCGA CEO; David McGuire,
USGC director of trade relations and global strategies; and Ellen Dougherty,
USGC director of communications.
Yoder expects this
trip will open dialog with the European Union (EU) concerning biotech
issues. “We want to find out what their concerns are about biotech
and voice our opinions and meet in the middle,” he said.
The EU placed a
moratorium on the process for approving new biotechnology events two
years ago, effectively shutting off imports of U.S. corn to Europe.
Yoder said next week’s discussions will give U.S. corn industry
leaders a better understanding of how European policymakers and consumers
approach biotechnology. Of equal importance, it will allow the U.S.
delegation to convey its views regarding the safety and benefits of
agricultural biotechnology. Yoder is looking forward to the meetings
and has positive feelings about the outcome. “We’re very hopeful,”
he said. “Only through open dialog with the Europeans can we break
through the current impasse and develop a rational approach to addressing
Europe’s biotech concerns.”
For more information
about the National Corn Growers Association visit www.ncga.com.
For more information about U.S. Grains Council, visit www.grains.org.
The National Corn
Growers Association mission is to create and increase opportunities
for corn growers in a changing world and to enhance corn’s profitability
and usage. NCGA represents more than 32,000 members, 25 affiliated state
corn grower organizations and hundreds of thousands of growers who contribute
to state checkoff programs.
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