NCGA Reminds Corn Growers to Properly Channel Herculex Rootworm Grain (9-13-06)

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) reminds growers who planted hybrids containing Herculex™ Rootworm technology to develop a marketing plan for channeling the grain. The technology has full regulatory approvals in the United States, Japan and several other major markets, but it still lacks approval for import into the European Union (EU).

The EU is a leading market for corn gluten feed (CGF), and a growing market for distillers dried grains (DDG). To protect the EU feed market, many wet mills will not accept grain produced from Herculex™ Rootworm hybrids. Likewise, ethanol dry mills that may export DDGs to the EU may also refuse to accept this grain.

“It is important that growers who planted these hybrids develop a marketing plan for the grain,” said Martin Barbre, chairman of the NCGA Biotechnology Working Group. “Growers who still need help finding an approved market for Herculex™ Rootworm or any other hybrids bearing the Market Choices™ logo should contact their seed dealer, the American Seed Trade Association, or the Know Where To Go™ site at www.ncga.com.”

Ideally, the best way to use this grain is to feed it on farm or contract directly to a livestock feeder, Barbre added. 

“Ultimately, there are more markets accepting this grain than opting out,” he said. “We just need to be good stewards of the technology and markets and ensure it goes only to approved markets.”

To learn more, please visit www.Amseed.org and click on the Grain Handler's Database.