A32-Uncaster Farming, Saturday, February 12, 2000
GMO Debate A ‘Non-Issue,’ Say Grain Managers
ANDY ANDREWS
Lancaster Farming Staff
CAMP HILL (Cumberland
Co.) Most grain suppliers
support biotechnology and see
the current problems over genet
ically modified crops as a “non
issue,” according to several
managers Tuesday.
“It’s hard to maintain a cam
paign against a product that
(creates) no damage,” said Dan
Wolf, president of the Pennsyl
vania Master Corn Growers As
sociation (PMCGA).
Wolf spoke during a panel of
grain elevator and supply mana
gers to about 140 growers and
agri-industry representatives.
The panel was part of the Penn
sylvania Corn and Soybean
Conference at the Radisson
Penn Harris Hotel and Conven
tion Center in Camp Hill.
Dick Cole of PACMA, Pal
myra, noted the issues that were
brought up at the recent World
Trade Organization meeting in
Seattle, Wash, and at recent
meetings in Canada regarding
GMO genetically modified
organism crops are a “non
issue” for us, he said.
GMO crops have been altered
at the genetic level to provide
specific, targeted expressions
against weeds or resistance to
herbicides. Bt corn that controls
European corn borer is one such
GMO-type crop. Other crops in
clude the Roundup herbicide
ready crops for corn and soy
beans.
“Not one buyer asked for
non-GMO corn,” said Cole.
While some elevators have re
ceived a few inquiries regarding
availability of non-GMO crops,
at this point, Cole told growers,
“I would not change planting
intentions.”
According to the panel, some
controversy has been felt by the
food processors. The contro
versy is so strong that it has af
fected food-grade, human
consumption corn, some of
which is marketed for trade
marked brands of tortilla chips
and other products.
“Wenger’s supports biotech
nology,” said Geoff Finch, pur
chasing agent for the feed
company in Rheems. Finch
stressed that Wenger Feeds is
responsive to customers. If cus
tomers want to go non-GMO,
“we’ll go non-GMO,” he said.
Wenger’s has had only one se
rious inquiry into the availabil
ity of non-GMO feed. Right
now, there have been no other
requests, so the non-GMO pro
gram is on hold, Finch said.
Trouble is, not one customer
or supplier is “willing to make a
commitment up front to go
(with non-GMO crops),” said
Finch.
Wolf of PMCGA spoke about
one major grain supplier that
looked closely at the issue and
realized what the problems
could be. “Do we want to segre
gate non-GMO crops and hope
for a premium price?” he said.
For PACMA, Cole noted that
buyers simply want cheap beans
more than anything, he said. “If
you’re producing beans, we’ll
sell them for you.”
Cole believes the concern falls
more on the “farmers’ side than
buyers.’” He’s hoping that the
public relations people for the
big GMO companies “can make
it a non-issue.”
One industry representative
noted that the industry has been
modifying crops through genetic
selection for a long time. Most
crops can be considered “GMO”
by that definition.
“This issue will have to die on
its own attrition,” said Wolf.
“There will be no one to con
tinue to beat the drum.”
Ethanol Issue
Wolf, however, noted that the
real issue facing growers are
recent decisions by U.S. Con
gress to consider pulling away
from the use of reformulated
gasoline, which is blended with
an oxygenate such as ethanol,
made from corn.
The reason? Some findings
suggest that another oxygenate
used, methyl tertiary butyl ether
(MTBE), has been detected in
drinking water supplies from
Maine to California. An Envi
ronmental Protection Agency
(EPA) Blue Ribbon Panel has
recommended that MTBE use
be substantially reduced.
However, several bills pend
Speakers at the crops conference included Gene
Lewis, United Soybean Board, right and Greg Roth,
Penn State corn specialist.
ing in Congress could override
the workings of the Clean Air
Act to reduce the use of the
blended material, essentially al
lowing waiver authority to indi
vidual governors. If the bills
pass, this could have “tremen
dous impact on the use of corn
in the country,” Wolf said.
“If we lose all the oxygenated
fuel programs, it will be a big
loss.”
Wolf urged growers to contact
the National Corn Growers As
sociation or individual U.S. rep
resentatives about the issue.
Ag Perspectives
Soybeans
Soybean producers should
grasp the potentials of GMO
crops, according to the chair of
the New Uses Committee of the
United Soybean Board (USB).
Growers should “accelerate
the accelerating rate of change
that GMO can give us,” Gene
Lewis told those at the crops
conference.
A soybean producer from
Hardinsburg, Ind., Lewis said
the real issue about GMO is
“how long will it take for
biotechnology to be accepted?”
Lewis noted that growers
should do more planning of
their destinies. Farmers need to
reassess things, “all of us, as a
group.”
Lewis said that in 1900, farm
ers made up 38 percent of the
labor force and farmed 147 acres
on average. By 1950, farmers
made up only 12 percent of the
labor force and farmed an aver
age of 216 acres. In 1990, farm
ers made up only 2.6 percent of
the workforce yet farmed, on av
erage, 471 acres.
“The emphasis on production
agriculture is very apparent in
the 20th century,” he said.
Since science continues to
support new product develop
ment, growers should benefit.
But every bushel the USB can
take out of the carryover, the
more the price can be affected.
Agriculture is changing. In
stead of the emphasis on a sup
ply-driven economy, the shift is
toward a “demand-driven”
system, Lewis said.
With the 50-cent per bushel
checkoff, out of a year’s pro
jected harvest of 3 billion bush
els, enough money is generated
over 20 years to surely “do
something to raise the price of
soybeans,” Lewis said.
Those include new products
such as the “polyoils,” by :
products such as hydraulic oils
from soybeans. The goal is to
have eight new soybean prod
ucts by the year 2005.
Today people are eating more
soy foods than a year ago.
A diesel fuel additive uses a
mixture of soybeans and addi
tives. It creates a horsepower
boost and improves the life of
engines.
Another product includes a
plastic resin composite used on
the panels of a cbmmercial com
bine company.
The use of industrial soybean
oil has increased significantly,
Lewis said, from 28 million
bushels per year to 54 million
bushels in 1999.
Also at the conference, Tony
Minnich, Ag Chem, provided in
formation about the new light
bar technology for growers. The
lightbar acts with a GPS system
to provide precise parallel
swatheing for sprayers or other
use. The bar can be accurate to
about six inches, according to
several users, with the right sat
ellite system.
With the technology, growers
could feasibly spray at midnight.
If kept powered and dry in the
cabin, the lightbar can keep
swathes almost perfect.
Some lightbars are equipped
with actual speed indicators.
The information can be down
loaded into a computer and
more accurate spray records can
be kept.
Soybean contest winners at the Pennsylvania Corn
and Soybean Conference were, from left, Gary E. Truck
enmiller, first place; James R. Hoover, second; and Joe
Anchor of Anchor Farms, third.
Awards
The Five-Acre Corn Club
awards were presented by the
PMCGA at the conference.
Award winners are included in a
separate story.
Also, winners of the annual
Pennsylvania Soybean Yield
Contest were announced.
First place went to Gary E.
Truckenmiller, Northumber
land County, with a yield of
73.34 bushels per acre using RR
Pioneer 93853.
Second place went to James
R. Hoover, Perry County, with a
yield of 71.77 bushels per acre
with RR Pioneer 9396.
Third place was awarded to
Anchor Farms, Inc., Union
County, for Stine 3171-1.
STS cultivars made up 12 per
cent of the entries; normal, 32
percent; and Roundup Ready,
56 percent. Minimum tillage was
used by 60 percent of the entries,
no-till by 36 percent, and con
ventional till by 4 percent.
Corn planters were used by 32
percent of the entries and drills
by 68 percent.
Beans were planted May 10
by 44 percent of the entries, May
11-20 by 48 percent, May 21-30
Brown Swiss Association
Hosts Annual Calf Sale
FREDERICK, Md.-This year’s
Mid Atlantic Brown Swiss Calf
Sale will be celebrating its 26th
year, and will be held on Sat
urday April 29, 2000 at the
Frederick Fairgrounds, Fred
erick, Md. at 10:30 a.m. This
annual sale has gained quite a
track record for calves sold.
Many have developed into
National Bell Ringers, All-
Americans, and profitable addi
tions to many herds.
Now is your chance to con
sign a calf to this sale-check
those calf pens and pedigrees
and see what you can offer. This
sale has been a great place to
buy a 4-H project, and has also
provided some top-pedigreed
calves for the merchandising
and investment buyer. We are
looking for a strong group of
calves that combine a unique
blend of production and sound
type.
Don’t miss this opportunity to
get a consignment in this sale.
There were several consign
ments from the 1998 and 1999
by 4 percent, and June 1 or after
by 4 percent.
Those using 30-inch rows
made up 24 percent of the en
tries, 14-15 inch 16 percent, and
less than 10-inch rows, 60 per
cent.
Drills averaged 182,000
plants per acre. Corn planters
averaged 156,000 plants per
acre.
Those using rhizobia inocu
lant made up 96 percent of the
entries. No one rotary hoed. Ni
nety-six percent of the growers
in the contest did not cultivate.
There was little or no lodging re
ported. One hundred percent of
the entrants reported good to ex
cellent weed control.
Regarding fertilizer, 44 per
cent used fertilizer or manure,
12 percent used some nitrogen,
16 percent used phosphorous, 36
percent used potassium, and 8
percent used sulphur. Seventy
percent applied phosphorous
and potassium or manure to the
previous crop.
Only 16 percent limed in the
contest year and 16 percent
limed the previous year. Fifty
six percent of the entrants re
ported a current soil test.
sales that went on to do well for
their new owners. Many that
were shown stood in the first
five placings of their class on a
state and national level.
If you are interested in con
signing a calf, or wish additional
information about the sale,
please contact: Cindy Warner
(301) 371-5206; Dennis Smith
(301) 845-6894; Howard Flem
ing (301) 475-3440; Harold Long
(301) 271-7577.
Please don’t delay-the sale
committee would like to have
the pedigrees by Friday March
17, 2000 to get the catalog com
pleted in plenty of time for inter
ested buyers to review. Consign
ments will be on a “first come
first-serve basis,” so don’t delay!
Remember to tell new 4-Her’s,
other breeders in your area
about the quality and success of
this sale-there is always some
thing for everyone!! The Brown
Swiss breed is on the move up,
and the interest and demand for
Brown Swiss is really growing
throughout the United States,
as well as world wide.