The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is encouraging farmers to participate in the Aventis buyout program for StarLink corn. On Friday, Sept. 29, Aventis CropScience reached an agreement with USDA for the Commodity Credit Corp. (CCC) to buy directly from farmers all 2000-crop StarLink corn, including all corn grown within 660 feet of StarLink hybrids, that is not intended to be fed on farm. 

"We strongly urge growers who raised StarLink in 2000 to take advantage of the Aventis program before the Oct. 6 deadline. By using this opportunity and by following the appropriate grower agreements, we’ll keep StarLink in the approved channels," said Rick Tolman, executive vice president and CEO of NCGA. "This program will help reassure our customers in the U.S. and worldwide that we comply with marketing regulations." 

Farmers have until midnight Oct. 6 to accept the offer by Aventis by calling (888) 283-6847. Under the Aventis offer, the CCC will pay growers the Oct. 2 posted county price plus 25 cents per bushel for StarLink hybrids and non-StarLink corn grown in the buffer. Growers planning to feed StarLink corn on farm to livestock will be paid 25 cents per bushel. 

Aventis will repay the USDA. Aventis took the action because of reports on Sept. 18 that StarLink hybrids, which are approved for use in livestock feed but are not yet approved for food use or the export market, had been identified in taco shells sold by Kraft Foods. Kraft subsequently recalled the taco shells from grocery stores on Sept. 22. 

Company news release
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