Corn Growers Tout Biotech Story

May 31, 2001

The National Corn Growers Association's (NCGA) Biotech Working Group has been meeting with private companies and government regulators in an effort to carry out directives issued by the Corn Congress at this year's annual meeting in San Antonio regarding biotechnology. The 125-member NCGA governing body adopted a position supporting the release of biotech corn intended for specific-end use and that has limited regulatory approval only through closed-marketing systems or identity-preserved programs.

Biotech Working Group (BWG) chairman and Plain City, OH, farmer Fred Yoder and BWG members most recently visited at Prodigene in College Station, TX. Prodigene focuses on producing traits from corn in the animal health, human health and industrial protein areas. Stauffer Seeds, a strategic partner of Prodigene, will deliver the traits to the field.

BWG representatives also met with USDA Acting Deputy Undersecretary Hunt Shipman in Washington last week. Shipman is the point person on biotechnology. According to Yoder, emphasis was placed on the correct regulation of the next generation of biotechnology products. "We raised our issues and found that there are areas where USDA shares our interests," said Yoder. "This continues to be an important area for the administration."\\