CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — Archer Daniels Midland Co., one of the world’s top grain traders, won’t accept crops containing a new genetically modified corn trait from Syngenta AG because it is not approved by major export markets.
Corn seeds containing Syngenta’s Agrisure Duracade trait are available for planting in the United States for the first time this year after U.S. authorities cleared the strain in 2013.
The trait has not been approved for import by China or the European Union, both major buyers of U.S. crops.
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“Because of the importance of exports to American agriculture, ADM will not accept, against any export or domestic processing contract, any commodity that contains the Duracade trait, unless it is approved in all of our major export markets,” said ADM spokesperson Jackie Anderson.
“For now, we reserve the right to test deliveries and decline those that contain Duracade.”
Cargill Inc., the top exporter of U.S. grain and oilseeds, has also said it will not accept crops containing Duracade for delivery against export contracts.
Bunge Ltd., another major agricultural trading house, also has signalled it will not handle crops containing the trait until it is cleared by China.
