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American Corn Growers third GM survey: 77% believe consumer concerns important (July 16, 2001 – CropChoice news) – Upon completion of its third annual survey about transgenic crops, the American Corn Growers Association found that producers
reported planting 6 percent fewer acres to transgenic corn varieties in 2001 than the previous year.
Robinson and Muenster Associates, Inc. of Sioux Falls, S.D., performed the survey for the Association. It polled 509 farmers in fourteen states from June 14 to June 23. The farmers surveyed reported planting 526,118 total
acres to corn in 2001. The random, scientific survey has a margin of
error of +/- 4.5 percent. Using the June USDA-NASS planted corn acreage
reported for the fourteen states, the survey estimates that farmers in
those major corn growing states, which represent 88 percent of total
U.S. corn acreage, planted 21 percent of their total corn acreage to GMO
corn varieties in 2001.
"Of the growers surveyed, 77 percent feel that consumer and foreign
market concerns about GMOs are very or somewhat important and 78 percent
said they are willing to plant traditional, non-GMO corn varieties
instead of biotech GMO varieties in order to keep world markets open to
U.S. corn," said Larry Mitchell, CEO of the American Corn Growers Association. "Farmers believe 'the
customer is always right,' a pretty basic marketing premise for being
successful in business and keeping customers for the future."
"Our analysis revealed that 73.7 percent of the farmers in the survey
believe customer rejection of GMOs contributes to the ongoing low
commodity prices received by corn growers and 56 percent believe
Congress should require the labeling of foods and export cargoes to show
GMO levels," said Dan McGuire, Policy Committee Chairman for the non-profit farmers group that accepts no corporate donations. "It
appears that farmers are responding to concerns about the impact that
GMO varieties are having on export markets like Japan, South Korea and
Europe."
"Corn producers have seen recent news reports that the Korean Corn
Processing Association (KOCOPIA) is requesting international trading
houses to replace U.S. corn with non-U.S. sources of corn and will
indefinitely exclude the U.S. as an optional origin at future tender
purchases," added McGuire. "This survey reaffirms the fact that the
American farmer understands the importance of providing customers the
products they demand. Of the farmers surveyed, 56 percent are tuned in
to the reality that our export competitors are using non-GMO marketing
initiatives."
To see the survey, go to http://www.acga.org/farmsurvey
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