Soybean exporters critical of Eurpean Commission delays

The U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC) recently stated its disappointment that the European Commission has not authorized biotech soybean events in sensible time allotments.

The USSEC has organized two delegations that will be sent to Brusels over the next few weeks. These delegations will join other farmers from around the world to discuss the approval process with officials from the E.U.

“My fellow farmers and I need access to the latest technology in order to produce as efficiently as possible to feed the growing world’s demand – I’m worried that if approval is made difficult by governments like the EU that our access to new technology will diminish,” Jim Miller, USSEC vice chairman, said. “This would be a bad thing for all growers initially and then all consumers around the world as ag supplies tighten.”

The USSEC delegation will represent commodity shippers, producers, allied agribusinesses, merchandisers and agricultural organizers involved in the soybean industry.

Biotech approval is a significant international market access issue. Resolving this issue would improve agricultural relations between the U.S. and the E.U.

“USSEC’s goal is to differentiate and build preference for U.S. Soy while also ensuring market access for U.S. Soy,” USSEC CEO Jim Sutter said. “We work with many partners and we talk about the need to provide choice and to allow U.S. growers the freedom to operate. Lots of balls to keep in the air, but a nice upward trend in overall U.S. Soy exports gives us confidence that our efforts are paying off.”