The twenty Farm Bureau board members in the nation's largest corn processing state have declared their opposition to planting genetically modified (GM) corn hybrids that haven't been approved in the European Union. The Illinois Farm Bureau board says a much-anticipated increase in such plantings could threaten a $400 million market for corn gluten, a co-product of ethanol and corn sweetener processing that is used for livestock feed.
IFB president Ron Warfield says Illinois acreage of genetically modified corn not approved in Europe has been less than 5% of the total crop so far, but notes new varieties expected to be cleared for 2003 planting could dramatically increase the acreage of EU-unapproved corn.
Seed companies suggest the need for new biotechnology-enhanced varieties could double the US corn acreage planted to GM corn by 2006.
If the EU corn gluten market is lost, the feed will need to be absorbed by the US livestock industry, displacing whole corn in feed rations, Warfield says. "The resulting drop in US corn prices will cost corn producers approximately $1 billion."
"In the IFB board's view, a gamble of that size with our export market is not worth the benefit derived from these new corn varieties."
The group is asking farmers not to plant EU-unapproved varieties of corn this planting season.
source: http://www.agriculture.com/default.sph/AgNews.class?FNC=goDetail__ANewsindex_html___49038___1 3dec02
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