September 21, 2007

UK producers fear influx of import meat as GM corn cheapens

British pig and poultry producers would be undermined by cheaper imports from the US as corn prices in the western hemisphere become cheaper relative to those in the EU,  the UK's National Farmers Union (NFU) warned.

NFU president Peter Kendall said while EU feed prices continued to climb, corn prices in the USA had dropped from US$4.20/bushel in March to US $3.60/bushel now on the back of increased plantings.

However, British producers were not able to access that extra supply because much of it was GM corn which are banned in the EU.

The UK could see quantities of pig and poultry meat from north and south America that has been fed cheaper GM feed, Kendall said.

There was a need for serious debate on whether this meat should be allowed in at all, or whether it should be labelled as fed on GMs, he said.