GMO Corn Rejection: The Top 10 Things You Need to Know

Many corn seed farmers and corn DDGS exporters have been negatively impacted by the GMO corn rejected by China that contained traces of Agrisure Viptera MIR 162 corn. China’s GMO rejection has led to a depressed corn market and DDGS prices, which hurts the bottom line of farmers and exporters alike.

If you are a corn seed farmer or exporter, read below for the top things you need to know about the GMO corn rejection.

Viptera Corn Rejected by China

  1. In 2009-2010, Syngenta released a genetically modified corn seed, Agrisure Viptera, into the U.S. market. The genetic trait in Viptera, called MIR 162, was not approved for import by China and has still not been approved.
  2. Despite not having approval, Syngenta made statements that approval in China was imminent.
  3. Starting in November 2013, shipments of corn containing MIR 162 arrived in China. Those shipments of GMO corn were rejected by China.

GMO Corn Rejection Costs U.S. Corn Industry Billions

  1. The National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) released an estimate in April 2014 stating that the GMO corn rejected by China as a result of Syngenta’s Agrisure Viptera MIR 162 corn has resulted in $2.9 billion in losses to U.S. corn, DDGS and soy sectors.
  2. In addition, the NGFA predicted that during the 2014-2015 marketing year that began on Sept. 1, 2014, the U.S. corn farming industry could suffer additional economic impact up to $3.4 billion due to the GMO corn rejection.

The Release of the Second-Generation MIR 162 Product

  1. Despite the problems Viptera corn has caused the U.S. corn market, Syngenta launched another MIR 162 product, Duracade corn, which is also not approved by China.
  2. Duracade is expected to cause similar disruptions in the corn market because the genetically-modified corn product is another type of GMO corn rejected by China.

GMO Corn Rejected by China Hurts Farmers and Exporters Alike

  1. Syngenta also did not instruct farmers who purchased Agrisure Viptera corn to plant it in a manner that would prevent it from cross pollinating with other types of corn. Because of this, the Viptera corn trait cross pollinated with fields of non-Viptera corn and introduced MIR 162 into the U.S. general corn supply.
  2. Many farmers who did not plant genetically-modified corn still suffered financial injury due to the depressed corn markets.
  3. In addition to corn farmers, corn and DDGS exporters and businesses involved in the grain market have also reported losses due to China’s GMO corn rejection.

Get the Legal Help You Need

Whether you are a corn farmer or a business in the corn export industry, you may be eligible to file a GMO seed lawsuit. Individuals like you are working with our lawyers to hold Syngenta accountable for depressing the U.S. corn and DDGS markets after the GMO corn rejection. Contact Us todayfor a free consultation. Fill out the form or call 855-264-6270 to learn more about filing a GMO corn lawsuit.