Originally published Sunday, June 9, 2013 at 1:38 PM
Ore. farmers face uncertainty due to GMO wheat
Tyson Raymond answered his cellphone from out
on the tractor, where the Helix farmer half-jokingly says he will live
for the next couple months.
East Oregonian
PENDLETON, Ore. —
Tyson Raymond answered his cellphone from out on
the tractor, where the Helix farmer half-jokingly says he will live for
the next couple months.
The summer wheat harvest is coming, which means plenty of long days
ahead for local growers like Raymond. Approximately one-third of
Oregon's wheat comes from Umatilla County, which last year produced 16.9
million bushels on 248,300 acres.
Umatilla County routinely leads the state in harvesting soft white
wheat, a crop worth more than $472 million in 2012 - considered an
average year for the industry. Naturally, when an Eastern Oregon farmer
recently discovered genetically modified wheat not approved for growing
in his field, the news hit Raymond with a mix of surprise and disbelief.
"My first thought was that it's not possible. It doesn't exist. It's
not out there,"?Raymond said Thursday, talking over the noise of his
tractor engine. "You know, intuitively, the market doesn't want stuff
like this around right now."
Between 85-90 percent of Oregon wheat is exported, the majority of
which goes to Asian markets that made it very clear they do not want
genetically modified food. Japan and South Korea already suspended some
wheat orders, and the European Union is also calling for more rigorous
testing of U.S. shipments.
By potentially narrowing the market, the value of wheat faces
uncertainty. Raymond, immediate past president of the Oregon Wheat
Growers League, said the goal moving forward is to reassure customers
that the product meets their standards.
Locally, Raymond said much of Umatilla County's economy is tied to
agriculture, and not all farmers have the flexibility to plant anything
other than dryland wheat.
"It's a big deal,"?he said. "A large part of this area lives and dies by the wheat market."
So far, the market has resisted overreacting, with wheat futures
prices hovering just under $7 per bushel - down from last year's average
of $8.25 per bushel.
The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service launched an
investigation after a farmer, who wishes to remain anonymous, reported
finding wheat plants resistant to the herbicide glyphosate, marketed by
Monsanto Co. under the brand name Roundup.
Monsanto field tested a variety of "Roundup Ready" wheat in 16
states, including Oregon, from 1998-2005. It discontinued the program in
Oregon 12 years ago, and genetically modified wheat remains unapproved
for commercial planting.
The company says it is working fully with USDA, and suggested the
discovery of GMO wheat was likely the result of an accident or
deliberate mixing of the seed.
A spokesman for APHIS said they have 15 investigators working on the
case. There is no timeline, except the timeline of "getting it right."
Blake Rowe, CEO of the Oregon Wheat Growers League and Oregon Wheat
Commission, said the USDA is taking into consideration the harvest
season set to begin by the end of June or early July.
"I think everybody is hunkered down, awaiting information from the investigation on what to do next,"?Rowe said.
Bruce Sorte, community economist with Oregon State University's
Extension Service, said it is difficult to forecast how exactly the
incident will impact Umatilla County without seeing an initial shock on
wheat prices.
The wheat industry is a foundation of the local economy, Sorte said.
He figures 12 percent of the economy, and 15 percent of full- and
part-time jobs, could be disrupted by changes in wheat farming that lead
to reduced hours and wages.
During the near-record year of 2011, Umatilla County harvested more
than 21.6 million bushels of wheat. Morrow County ran a distant second
at nearly 9 million bushels.
Grain farming is also the highest sector of part-time jobs, according
to Sorte's model. From truck drivers to combine operators, and all the
way down to people who provide food to the crews, the uncertainty
ripples its way down the chain.
"You shake up the foundation of something like that with something
like this, and you hope it doesn't cause any structural damage,"?Sorte
said. "The strongest impact comes back and hits the suppliers, in terms
of income."
Eric Orem, who farms 5,000 acres outside Lexington, agreed, saying a
drop in wheat price could affect services like equipment dealers, fuel
and fertilizer suppliers.
"When we don't make as much money, we're not spending as much
money,"?said Orem, the Oregon Wheat League's secretary and treasurer.
"It has the potential to affect a lot of people."
Orem anticipates the investigation will include new protocols for
testing wheat as part of the effort to reassure customers the GMO case
is an isolated one.
Wheat growers find a way to adapt to change all the
time, he said, and this is no different.
"If our customers want non-GMO wheat, that's what we are going to deliver,"?Orem said.
Tim Goad, who owns an 800-acre family farm outside of Pendleton near
Wildhorse Resort & Casino, said he has confidence in the USDA
investigation, but questions continue to stick in the back of his mind.
"What are you going to do with the product if you can't sell it?"
Goad said. "Obviously, this came from a batch of seed somewhere. That's
the real question, is how widespread this is? That's what they'll have
to figure out."
All three growers said in interviews they believe the farmer who
first reported the problem did the right thing coming forward
immediately.
"There's the potential to catch this when it's extremely small, and
extremely isolated,"?Raymond said. "I?have full confidence in the system
and the industry to get the problem solved."
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Information from: East Oregonian, http://www.eastoregonian.info
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