Reuters | December 3, 1999
TOKYO - Tom Brumm, Technical Director of U.S. seed company MBS Inc, was cited as telling a news conference in Tokyo organised by the American Soybean Association (ASA) that genetically-modified (GM) soybeans will account for 65 percent of total soybean-planted acreage in the U.S. next year, up from 57 percent this year, but that the expected increase of Roundup Ready soybeans Co of the U.S. uncertainty over the outlook for public acceptance of GM foods, adding, "I don't think we are going to see the rate of increase of Roundup Ready as we have seen in the past. But the economic impact of Roundup Ready on the farmers' profits is huge. My personal opinion is 65 percent."
Gary Langel, an Iowa farmer and the vice chairman of ASA's international marketing and trade affairs committee, was cited as saying his herbicide costs for growing Roundup Ready soybeans were $8 per acre in 1999 and that if he had used non-Roundup Ready soybeans, herbicide costs would have been $28 per acre.
Langel was further cited as saying that despite scepticism in some quarters about the safety of GM foods, accepting the biotechnology was not an issue for U.S. farmers because GM crops available on the market were confirmed as safe by U.S. authorities after thorough tests.
Tim Cupka, production technology director of the Iowa Soybean Association, was cited as saying at the same conference more education is needed to make consumers aware of the actual and potential benefits of genetically modified crops.
ASA's Japan director James Echle was cited as saying that although consumer concerns over GM foods are driving some food processors in Japan to stop purchasing GM soybeans, the amounts involved add up to only a small portion of what Japan imports from the U.S., and that Japan will import just 300,000 tonnes of "identity preserved" or non-GM soybeans this year, against total soybean imports of roughly 5 million tonnes, adding, "We are seeing in Japan a great growth of interests in non-GMO food grains. But these are a small percentage of the total production. And they are at a much higher price ... some premiums between 30 to 50 percent may have been paid."
The story says that U.S. soybean production in 1999 is estimated at 2.67 billion bushels or 72.9 million tonnes. The bulk of the soybeans are used for crushing to produce oil and meal.
