More than 80 percent of grain elevators throughout the Corn Belt have said they are planning to accept biotech corn grain containing Bt and LibertyLink(1) traits in the fall of 2000, according to a survey by the Farm Progress Companies. More than 88 percent of these elevators will accept biotech soybeans produced with the Roundup Ready(2) trait.

Nearly 1,200 elevators throughout Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska and other Corn Belt states were surveyed in February 2000. The survey was conducted by the Farm Progress Companies and commissioned by Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc.

The survey among elevators was conducted to examine the marketability of biotech grain at U.S. elevators next fall amidst speculation that some farmers may not have a market for this grain. The results show widespread acceptance of biotech grain across the Corn Belt.

Among all elevators surveyed, over 78 percent said that they do not market any grain overseas, eliminating the issue for most growers.

Over 75 percent of elevators said they were not planning to segregate biotech and conventional corn this fall. Nearly 80 percent of respondents said they were not planning to segregate biotech and conventional soybeans.

More than 85 percent of the elevators said they were not going to test their corn or soybean deliveries this fall for biotech traits. Nearly 90 percent of those surveyed said they were not going to pay a premium for non-biotech corn and over 85 percent said they were not paying a premium for non-biotech soybeans.

"These results show a widespread acceptance of biotech grain throughout the Corn Belt,'' says Greg Wandrey, Ph.D., biotechnology policy manager for Pioneer. "If growers have questions on grain acceptance, they should contact their local grain handler. However, this survey shows that most grain elevators, even in states with large export markets like Illinois, will accept biotech grain without a penalty.

"Growers can make their seed purchase decisions this spring on overall value, rather than concerns over market acceptance.''

Results from the survey vary slightly from state to state. However, the state survey results generally match the overall Corn Belt results.

The Farm Progress Companies survey was conducted February 11-18, 2000. The national sampling has a standard error of +/-3 percent.

A summary of the survey by Farm Progress Companies among the Corn Belt elevators follows. Individual survey results are listed for Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, other corn and soybean producing states and the overall summary. The number of elevators surveyed within each geography is also listed.

Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., a DuPont business, is the world's leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics to farmers worldwide. With headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa, Pioneer develops, produces and markets a full line of top-quality seeds, forage and grain additives, and provides services to customers in nearly 100 countries. DuPont is a science company, delivering science-based solutions that make a difference in people's lives in food and nutrition; health care; apparel; home and construction; electronics; and transportation.

(1) Registered trademark of the Aventis Group.
(2) Registered trademark of Monsanto Company.

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