Boulder County farmers are voicing concerns about a proposed plan to phase out the use of genetically engineered corn and sugar beets on county-owned farmland.
Under the draft plan, the crops would be eliminated through the next 3 to 5 years….
Paul Schlagel … leases county-owned land to grow GE corn and sugar beets. One of his main concerns is the plan doesn’t outline what crops he and other tenant farmers are supposed to plant instead of the GE ones.
“The crops that are [currently] grown in Boulder County are a direct response to the dry climate and shortage of water in the region,…” he said.
. . . .
The farmers group also has a variety of concerns about what using non-GMO corn and sugar beets in their fields will do to their livelihood and the land itself.
…No seed company … has non-GMO [sugar beet] seed that is produced in the U.S. In addition, according to the farm group, it takes 10-12 years for a new sugar beet hybrid to be developed for an area. No one has bred non-GMO sugar beets for the Boulder County area for over a decade.
Non-GMO corn requires more frequent use of pesticides.
The GLP aggregated and excerpted this blog/article to reflect the diversity of news, opinion and analysis. Read full, original post: Farmers concerned about plan to phase out the use of genetically engineered crops
