The rapid development of biotechnology has created both new opportunities and challenges in the international marketing of grain. One of the recurring challenges stems from asynchronous approval, which arises when a major new market emerges with regulatory frameworks and timetables different from established protocols.

Such a situation has recently arisen with regard to a new biotechnology trait, MIR 162 or “Agrisure Viptera,” marketed through Syngenta seed retailers and partners with hybrid numbers ending in 3110 and 3111. This trait is not yet approved for sale in China, which has recently emerged as a major new export market for U.S. corn.

Syngenta notified affected growers about this situation by mail in a letter dated August 22, 2011. NCGA also informed its members via mail. More information may be found on the NCGA and Syngenta websites at www.ncga.com/Viptera and www.AgrisureViptera.com/exportinfo.

It should be stressed that:

• This technology has been fully approved in the United States and became commercially available to U.S. producers in 2011.
• Internationally, Viptera has been approved for cultivation in Canada, Argentina and Brazil, and for import in the key markets of Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Korea and Taiwan.
• Approval is pending in China, but the Chinese regulatory process is not complete.
• Grain buyers’ reactions to this situation are mixed. Some are accepting Viptera hybrids; others are not. Syngenta is maintaining a hotline with buyer information which can be accessed via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by calling 800-319-1360 between 6 a.m. and 11 p.m. CST, Monday through Saturday. Producers should also check with their local elevators or other purchasers.
• With global corn stocks tight and prices high, growers enjoy a variety of marketing options. Additional care in marketing Viptera hybrids, however, will prevent unwanted surprises at the elevator, and help minimize any inadvertent leakage of affected corn into the China export stream.
• With the increasing pace of seed technology development -- more companies, more countries, and more traits -- this regulatory international challenge will continue to increase. NCGA, USGC, the seed technology industry, grain traders, and others are working actively to develop an improved framework to better anticipate these developments and minimize disruption in the future.

The emergence of new export markets is an enormous opportunity for U.S. producers.  Within the next 20 years, more than 600 million people are expected to join the global middle class.  World food demand will double by 2050.  U.S. corn exports, stable for many years at approximately 2 billion bushels, are headed for a new and higher plateau.  Corn farmers and their associations have worked hard for many years to create, maintain, and expand international markets.  The current situation is one we will work through, in an orderly and constructive way.