01/07/08 Tight world supply situation argument for transgenic wheat

Farm and Ranch January 7, 2008 There has been strong resistance in some key wheat importing countries against transgenic or GMO wheat. So while transgenic corn and soybean acreage continues to expand in the United States, at times at the expense of wheat acres, no GMO wheat is being commercially grown. U.S. Wheat Associates, which develops overseas markets on behalf of U.S. wheat growers, is working to change the attitudes of overseas buyers. John Oades of the U.S. Wheat Associates office in Portland, Oregon gives presentations to importing countries. Oades: "I don't show them U.S. numbers at all. I show them world numbers where the acreage continues to decline, but despite that production continues to go up. But unfortunately it is not keeping up with demand. So seven of the last ten years in the world we consumed more wheat than we grew. So that is what got us to where we are today with record short world supplies and record high prices." Oades says overseas customers are in a bind between high wheat prices and governments that want them to keep food costs down. Oades: "And we talk to them about the ability of transgenic to increase the supply so they will find themselves, while benefiting our producers, in a little less price bind going into the future." Oades the key countries opposing transgenic wheat are Japan and South Korea and countries that ship products to them and the European Union. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.