By Matthew Wilde
Finding a home for a record corn crop apparently won't be a
problem for Northeast Iowa farmers, despite planting more genetically-
modified seed than ever before.
The nation's farmers will harvest a projected 13.3 billion bushels of
corn. According to the government statistics, 73 percent is genetically
modified, up 12 percent from last year.

Farmers love GMO crops because of in-plant insect control and
herbicide resistance, which bring cleaner fields, higher yields and higher
profits. Domestic consumers readily feed and process genetically-modified
corn and soybeans once it is federally approved as safe. GMO supporters say
there is no documented cases of such crops making people ill.

Not all countries, though, embrace biotechnology. Some, like those in
the European Union, put up roadblocks because of health reservations.

Still, area farmers and grain buyers say they are having no problems
marketing corn or soybeans - 91 percent of the nation's soybean acres are
biotech - this year.

"I don't think it's so much of an issue like it was in the past - not
being able to find a home for it," said Brad Stewart, grain merchandiser for
East Central Iowa Cooperative based in Hudson, with branches in several
Cedar Valley communities.

There are hungry ethanol plants and livestock, and grain processors
and many countries welcome the technology, officials said. Prior to
planting, farmers are informed by seed companies and dealers what countries
accept a variety, and receive written documentation to sign.

Few biotech varieties aren't accepted by the nation's major export
customers, such as Japan, China and Mexico. But even varieties not widely
accepted overseas are easily sold domestically.

"Anything not EU approved needs to go to the (Jesup) feed mill,"
Stewart said. "They (farmers) know going in that particular bushels need to
go to specific locations, otherwise they wouldn't be raising it."

With harvest wrapping up and next year's seed decisions on the
horizon, grain marketing experts suggest farmers do their homework and
contact potential buyers prior to buying seed. Always make sure there's a
buyer, officials said.

Crop experts say farmers shouldn't take marketing for granted.
Occasionally seed varieties are released that don't have full export
approval, especially for primary buyers, which can cause problems.

Last spring the Minnesota Department of Agriculture stopped the sale
of Syngenta's Agrisure RW, genetically modified to control rootworms,
because it wasn't approved in Japan. It was approved this fall, but not
before a disruption in export sales. The Iowa Corn Growers Association also
warned members than Agrisure RW could lead to marketing problems.

In 2000, genetically-modified StarLink corn caused an uproar and
disruption to export markets. It wasn't approved for human consumption, yet
ended up in the food supply and overseas shipments.

"Confidence in the integrity and safety of America's corn supply has
evaporated in export markets, particularly Japan, South Korea and Europe,"
according to a lawsuit filed later that year by farmers claiming StarLink's
hurt their pocket books.

The nation has since recovered, but producers say to err on the side
of caution and think about customer needs. Nick Meier, a farmer and seed
dealer near La Porte City, always informs customers of marketing issues with
GMO seed.

"I do tell them to be good stewards, but it seems like it isn't
showing up as an issue," Meier said. "There's such demand for corn,
(marketing) is not that much of a problem."

The nation's farmers planted 92 million acres of corn, up 19 percent
from last year and the most since 1944. Soybean acreage nationwide was down
15 percent this year to 64.1 million acres.

Corn demand is up, primarily due to the booming ethanol industry.
Grain exports also remain strong.

One out of five bushels of corn will be exported this year, or 2.15
billion bushels, according to government projections. That is slightly up
from 2006-07. Japan is the best U.S. customer, importing 649 million bushels
in 2006. Mexico is second at 350 million bushels, followed by South Korea,
Taiwan, Egypt and Columbia.

U.S. soybean exports totaled a record 1.11 billion bushels for the
2006-07 marketing year, which ended on Aug. 31. China is the country's best
buyer of soybeans, importing 420 million bushels. Mexico is second and Japan
third.

While Europe isn't a big buyer of soybeans and rarely buys
whole-kernel corn, European countries do buy processed grain and are
becoming a big purchaser of dried distillers grain, a by-product of ethanol
production. Plants that sell distillers grain overseas must adhere to
biotech export rules.

The National Corn Growers Association has a section of its Web site -
www.ncga.org - dedicated to informing members which seed traits are approved
for export and which are not.

About 80 to 90 seed companies are represented and about 5,000 hybrids.

"It's still something farmers have to be aware if they plant (a
certain) product. Will my market accept this grain?" said Paul Bertels, NCGA
biotechnology expert.

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