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Sugarbeet industry concerned about labeling

A leader with the largest sugarbeet seed developer in North America says GMO labeling legislation is a very real concern for the industry.

BetaSeed Vice President of Sales and Marketing Mark Schmidt says sugarbeet farmers have been using glyphosate resistant crops for almost a decade.  “Just having that ability to effectively manage your weeds has been a big asset.  It’s also allowed then continued development in sugarbeet seed in terms of genetics and other traits that provide more yield stability.”

He says while virtually all sugarbeet famers in the United States use the technology, farmers need to grow what consumers are willing to buy.  “It’s one of the things that we’re prepared for, and to satisfied and serve our customers as we see fit, but at this point there continues to be strong demand for the technology as we go into the next sales season.”

He says if consumer demand warrants non-gmo sugarbeets,  it could cause huge ramifications for farmers and processors who would have to segregate and track the crop throughout the supply chain.

Schmidt says this year warm weather made it a challenge to harvest sugarbeets but there is still potential for record yields in certain regions.

AUDIO: Interview with Mark Schmidt