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U.S. Wheat Associates requests FAS study on biotech wheat marketing issues (Thursday, July 10, 2003 -- CropChoice news) -- U.S. Wheat Associates' Wheat Letter, 07/03/03: U.S. Wheat Associates, along with two other national wheat organizations,
officially asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural
Service to investigate the competitive challenges and opportunities facing
the U.S. wheat industry in the export marketing of genetically modified
wheat, which is expected to be commercialized by Monsanto in the next few
years.
In a letter sent June 20 to FAS administrator Ellen Terpstra, USW, the
National Association of Wheat Growers and the Wheat Export Trade Education
Committee expressed their support of an earlier request by the National
Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) and the North American Export Grain
Association (NAEGA). Those organizations, noting that a critical objective
of FAS is to maintain foreign market intelligence for U.S. agricultural
interests, specifically requested that FAS "conduct, analyze and provide a
global market survey of strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities with
respect to wheat produced with modern biotechnology."
Such a survey and analysis, NAEGA and NGFA point out, would be a "critical
step in preventing further loss of United States market share in
international wheat and wheat containing product markets." The results of
USDA studies are publicly available. Got to http://www.uswheat.org .
Additionally, the wheat industry is awaiting the final report, expected
soon, of a study conducted a year ago by the USDA Economic Research
Service. The report, which has been peer reviewed and readied for
publication, will provide insights on the economics of GM wheat. According
to USDA sources, ERS economists Bill Lin, Demcey Johnson and Gary Vocke are
scheduled to make a presentation on the subject on July 29 at the annual
meeting of the American Agricultural Economics Association in Montreal. | |
