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Corn leaders meet with lawmakers over Mexico’s decree on biotech corn
U.S. corn growers recently briefed Congressional leaders about the negative impact of Mexico’s proposed ban on biotech corn.
During Tuesday’s meeting in Washington D.C., Nebraska Corn Growers Association President Andy Jobman says he wanted to educate lawmakers. “It can have detrimental impacts on the US corn farmer and the Mexican consumer. If they are looking for non-GM corn, that increased cost is going to go on the shoulders of the Mexican consumer and that’s not something we want either.”
He tells Brownfield the trading relationship with Mexico and the market’s reaction is tenuous but has been healthy. “These relationships with Mexico and the companies that are buying our corn down there have taken years to develop and very important. We’ve heard from Mexican grain buyers, ‘help us fix this because we don’t want this decree either.”
Jobman says he’s encouraged by the Biden administration’s stance on the issue, but is disappointed it came quickly after the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement was inked. “To have a trading partner pull back from the table and say ‘hey, I have something else in mind’ is very frustrating because we spent how many years it was setting up USMCA. Now, they’re coming back and reneging on their agreement.”
Jobman was joined on the panel by NCGA President Tom Haag; Representative Adrian Smith (R-Neb.); and Jason Hafemeister, acting deputy for trade at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Andy Jobman:
If Mexico and its people wish to buy non-GMO corn, why don’t US farmers comply? Mexico and Mexicans may be the smarter.