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NEWS STATEMENT March 8, 2001 Protecting the 2001 Corn Crop from Cry9C Protein A Joint Statement Issued By Corn Refiners Association North American Millers’ Association North American Export Grain Association National Grain and Feed Association The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in December 2000, advised the U.S. corn seed industry to test all corn seed for the potential presence of Cry9C protein---the same protein that is found in the biotech corn variety StarLink™. USDA advised that any seed testing positive should be destroyed. Based upon information provided by the seed industry, it appears that there is a high rate of compliance with the voluntary testing advised by USDA. However, for corn used in U.S. food products, the tolerance for Cry9C effectively remains at zero. In addition, export markets are extremely sensitive to Cry9C. Major export markets currently have a zero tolerance for Cry9C. While we appreciate the voluntary efforts of individual seed companies to perform tests of their planting seed and parent lines, it is so important to our customer base to eliminate Cry9C protein from the U.S. corn supply that we urge purchasers of corn who buy directly from farmers to discuss this issue with growers. Specifically, it is recommended that buyers urge every corn grower to obtain written certification from their seed suppliers that the corn seed being purchased has tested negative for Cry9C using USDA testing protocols, and to retain those written certifications as part of business records. As a prudent business practice, corn buyers may wish to assure themselves that appropriate certifications have been received by customer growers. It is our understanding that seed companies are prepared to provide written verification that seed being sold has been appropriately tested and found to be negative for Cry9C. The National Corn Growers Association and American Farm Bureau Federation have already directly communicated with their farmer members to urge them to ask for certification of testing for corn seed. Given the situation, it is only prudent to expect many U.S. corn customers and U.S. regulators in 2001 to continue to use very sensitive ELISA technology to test for the presence of Cry9C. Therefore, corn farmers also should be prepared to have corn deliveries tested at the first point of sale. Requesting certification of negative testing in seed purchased will greatly assist in controlling the potential for positive tests for Cry9C in 2001 farmer corn deliveries. For Further Information, Contact: Corn Refiners Association: 202-331-1634; Charles F. Connor, President. National Grain and Feed Association: 202-289-0873; Kendell W. Keith, President; Randy Gordon, Vice President, Communications and Government. North American Export Grain Association: 202-682-4030; Gary C. Martin, President. North American Millers Association: 202-484-2200, Ext. 104; Betsy Faga, President. For more information on the corn refining industry, visit the Corn Capsules newsletter page. 
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