There are some hot new biotech traits in the corn market including Roundup Ready corn, YieldGard Rootworm technology and the new corn borer product Herculex I. All aim to help you get more grain into the bin, but none are approved for sale in Europe and that's a concern for some grain buyers.
Recently, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) issued statements aimed at elevators that farmers should keep in mind when buying seed. Both ADM and the CRA warn about those grains that aren't approved for use in Europe.
ADM goes as far as saying, in a letter to its suppliers, that it "will not be able to accept delivery of these varieties at its corn processing plants because we ship gluten feed and various other food products to the European Union." The CRA warns suppliers of the need to channel non-EU-approved grain out of the export stream to keep the gluten market to Europe open.
With more of these non-EU-approved biotech products coming to market, and offering farmers clear production advantages, buyers will have to continue to be aware of where to market that grain. Best bet is to check out the Know Before You Grow section of the National Corn Growers Association Web site.
With StarLink troubles still fresh in corn buyers' minds, and the newest problems with the ProdiGene grains in Nebraska and Iowa, growers must keep these issues in mind at seed-buying time.
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