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ADM to Export Starlink to Europe, Mexico, and South America (30 October - Cropchoice News) -- Relieved officials from grain giant Archer Daniels Midland have embraced USDA's policy to allow grain handlers to export the contents of Starlink contaminated elevators without fear of US lawsuits.
ADM Vice President Larry Cunningham told Reuters "We can start doing business again." According to Cunningham, before USDA clarified its stance "We were handicapped because we could only go to domestic feed lots..." Now, Starlink-contaminated shipments can be more easily sent abroad.
ADM has identified Starlink in at least 24 of its elevators. Company officials said they are planning to send Starlink-contaminated corn shipments to Europe, Mexico, and South America. ADM has been having difficulty selling the corn. Some US feed operations, including poultry giant Tyson, are rejecting Starlink.
One place ADM will not be sending its Starlink is Japan. According to Cunningham "I think we are going to have to wait a little bit on Japan... That is a front burner issue over there..." Japanese health and agriculture authorities have asked the US not to send any more Starlink in the wake of last week's consumer scare after supermarket products tested positive for the banned corn.
Other Asian markets are unsettled. Grain traders are reportedly very nervous, although South Korea purchased over 100,000 tons of US corn that may have been Starlink-contaminated late last week. A Korean trader told the press "`We don't have any guideline for StarLink corn from our government."
It is unclear if governments and citizens in Europe and Latin America will be happy to get shipments of corn effectively rejected by the US domestic market. ADM may be betting that once processed into feed, Starlink will stir little controversy and be undetectable on supermarket shelves.
Source: Reuters |
