12/12/06 Sweet corn problems, part 2

It has been an interesting year for the Crookham Company. There's a huge demand for field corn so it doesn't impact Crookham's sweet corn seed business. Right? Wrong says Crookham's Terry Clinton who is having problems finding farmers who can contract to grow sweet corn seed for his company or four others located in Canyon County. CLINTON "I'm not necessarily saying that the Midwest can't supply the need but the contract or the prices of field corn is extending this far and growers around here are taking a good look at it, at growing field corn rather than other crops." And that's a problem for the Idaho seed companies which supply most of the nation with sweet corn seed. Clinton says with more field corn needed to supply dairy and cattle needs, a growing ethanol industry plus more urban development it's getting harder and harder to find land for sweet corn seed. CLINTON "We need to be 660 feet minimum away from any other corn pollen of any type, field corn or different sweet corn pollen." Clinton says it takes between eight and ten thousand acres of land to supply the seed that the five companies distribute worldwide each year. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott