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Iowa, Nebraska reaping value from genetically modified crops, says report
(Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2003 -- CropChoice news) -- Both Iowa and Nebraska gain great value from genetically engineered crops, according to a University of Minnesota report. They go beyond the farm to include science jobs.
Biotech soybeans, corn, canola and cotton account for $20 billion in value, according to the report from the university's Center for International Food and Agricultural Policy, whose financial supporters include Cargill, Inc. and Archer Daniels Midland, Co.
Iowa topped the national list with a $3.8 billion value from the crops, while Nebraska ranked fourth with $1.8 billion in value, according to the report.
Farmers in Midwestern states have readily accepted biotech crops, particularly in soybeans and corn. Soybeans account for 81 percent of the total crop in the Midwest. In Nebraska, 86 percent of the soybean crop is genetically modified. In Iowa, the figure is 84 percent.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 52 percent of Nebraska's corn crop this year was planted with biotech seeds. In Iowa, the number was 45 percent.
Source: Omaha World Herald | |
