01/22/07 Corn Contamination

Corn contamination, big problem. I'm Greg Martin with today's Line On Agriculture. Contamination of corn with mycotoxins is a big problem for the nation's corn growers. That's why the National Corn Growers Association has an entire team devoted to the issue. Texas corn grower Scott Averhoff is Chairman of NCGA's Mycotoxin Task Force. Mycotoxins are known to cause serious health problems in animals - and that means corn with certain mycotoxin levels can be rejected. That's why Averhoff says mycotoxin elimination research is so important to corn growers throughout the U.S. And he says the Mycotoxin Task Force will again focus on increasing that funding in 2007. AVERHOFF: Our role is to continue to see additional funding, both federal funding from other sources for research to help find solutions to reducing aflatoxin and other mycotoxin contaminations. And then also an active role that we take is to engage with the scientific community to try to help guide some of this research so we're not spending research dollars or time on projects that really hold no commercial value to them. Unfortunately - Averhoff says mycotoxin issues are ongoing issues - and there isn't a magic wand that can make the problem disappear. AVERHOFF: With mycotoxins were dealing with a very difficult problem to solve. It's not an issue that we can find a solution to and it will go away forever. And that's not the only problem. Averhoff says the ability to detect mycotoxins came before corn growers even knew there was a problem. AVERHOFF: Technology came along before we had the ability to get them under control and it really has had a disastrous impact on producers who have had to contend with these issues. In our particular case, prior to 1989, we didn't know we had a problem and them all of sudden this test became available and we've got this huge issue we've got to contend with. And so the ability to control the problem hasn't kept pace with the ability to isolate it. While Averhoff says mycotoxin research is the main focus of his task force in the coming year - he says it's also important to ensure growers understand the changes in the 2007 Quality Loss Insurance Policies. AVERHOFF: I would certainly suggest that they contact their insurance agent at their earliest possible date and try to have a working knowledge of how the quality loss adjustments are going to be handled under the new provisions that RMA has come forth with for 2007. That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.