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US organic producers import feed, shunning GMO grain Midwest produces
US FEED grain production exceeds that of all other countries, but that's not good enough domestic organic livestock producers who shun the domestic product in favour of non-genetically modified Romanian and Indian imports.
Most corn and soybeans harvested across the US Midwest come from genetically modified seed and use crop chemicals shunned by the organic industry, reports Bloomberg News.
An increasing amount of specialty grain used to produce organic milk, eggs and meat industry is being imported. Purchases more than doubled last year and are rising again this year, government data show.
While organic feed remains a tiny portion of the US grain market, it is growing rapidly. Consumers have tripled spending on organic food over the past decade to more than US$35 billion in 2014, the industry estimates.
Demand for specialty grain to feed dairy cows, hogs and egg-laying hens is out-pacing domestic harvests, so importers are taking advantage of a strong dollar and cheap freight to buy more from overseas.
"Every year, demand gets further away from supply here in the United States," said Lynn Clarkson, president of Clarkson Grain Co, a supplier of organic and non-GMO corn and soybeans in Cerro Gordo, Illinois.
Despite the premium, organic feed remains a tiny fraction of the US grain supply. As of 2014, only 0.2 per cent of domestic corn and soybean fields were devoted to organic varieties.
Average yields for organic crops tend to be lower, and there's increased risk of damage from pests, diseases and weeds. It also takes three years to transition from conventional crops to organic, during which costs will be higher and the harvested grain won't command as much of a premium.
Most corn and soybeans harvested across the US Midwest come from genetically modified seed and use crop chemicals shunned by the organic industry, reports Bloomberg News.
An increasing amount of specialty grain used to produce organic milk, eggs and meat industry is being imported. Purchases more than doubled last year and are rising again this year, government data show.
While organic feed remains a tiny portion of the US grain market, it is growing rapidly. Consumers have tripled spending on organic food over the past decade to more than US$35 billion in 2014, the industry estimates.
Demand for specialty grain to feed dairy cows, hogs and egg-laying hens is out-pacing domestic harvests, so importers are taking advantage of a strong dollar and cheap freight to buy more from overseas.
"Every year, demand gets further away from supply here in the United States," said Lynn Clarkson, president of Clarkson Grain Co, a supplier of organic and non-GMO corn and soybeans in Cerro Gordo, Illinois.
Despite the premium, organic feed remains a tiny fraction of the US grain supply. As of 2014, only 0.2 per cent of domestic corn and soybean fields were devoted to organic varieties.
Average yields for organic crops tend to be lower, and there's increased risk of damage from pests, diseases and weeds. It also takes three years to transition from conventional crops to organic, during which costs will be higher and the harvested grain won't command as much of a premium.
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