The Associated Press. 

August 8, 2001
North Dakota farmers could be hit hard by opposition to modified
wheat; The North Dakota Agribeat 

By JACK SULLIVAN, Associated Press Writer 

FARGO, N.D. 

North Dakota farmers have the most to lose from Canadian 
opposition to genetically modified wheat, the state agriculture 
commissioner says. 

Modified wheat is not now available, but research is focused on hard
red spring wheat varieties, Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson said. 

North Dakota is the nation's top producer of those varieties and
competes against Canadian farmers in many overseas markets where
consumers are vehemently opposed to genetically modified wheat,
Johnson said. That could expose the state to a greater backlash if
modified wheat is planted in the United States without confidence
buyers will accept it. 

"The impacts will be acutely felt in North Dakota, more than any other
state, because it's hard red spring wheat," he said. 

Last week, a coalition of Canadian farm organizations wrote a letter
to Prime Minister Jean Chretien to oppose the introduction of
genetically modified wheat in Canada. The group includes international
environmental groups and the Canadian Wheat Board, which oversees
wheat and barley exports from the country's western provinces. 

The coalition says farmers and grain groups fear they will lose ground
in overseas markets if modified varieties are allowed in Canada. The
group asks Chretien to block modified wheat from Canada until "the
concerns of Canadian farmers, industry and consumers are addressed
adequately." 

The call is similar to the stance taken by the U.S. Wheat Associates,
which urges seed companies to make sure buyers will accept modified
wheat before bringing it to market. 

"The markets are not ready for it now," said Jim Peterson, marketing
director for the North Dakota Wheat Commission, which is a member of
the national group. "And will it be in two years or five years? That's
anybody's guess." 

Several studies on methods of modifying wheat are under way, including
tests to see how well the plant can be made to resist disease or
tolerate weed killers. Those traits can make the crop cheaper to grow.

But genetic engineering is controversial to people who think its
health and environmental consequences are not fully known. 

Wheat faces stronger opposition than other crops for which modified
varieties are now available, in part because wheat is used for staple
foods around the world, said Dawn Forsythe, public affairs director of
the U.S. Wheat Associates in Washington. 

The relatively little processing that wheat undergoes during milling
and baking also make it seem "much closer to the consumer" than other
crops, Forsythe said. 

The North Dakota Legislature debated a two-year ban on genetically
engineered wheat earlier this year. Supporters of the measure argued
it would protect the market for state growers' wheat. 

During the debate, lawmakers changed the proposal so it would allow
genetically modified wheat if the Canadian Wheat Board did so. They
later scrapped the ban in favor of a legislative study into genetic
research issues.