Drama continues to unfold between the U.S. and Mexico after Mexico announced it would stop buying certain genetically modified corn in 2024. This is corn that has traits that makes it resistant to drought or pests, for example.
United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai last week requested dispute settlement consultations with Mexico under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. USTR argues Mexico’s measures are not based on science and threaten to disrupt American exports of agricultural products to Mexico, including corn, and harming American farmers.
Ken Rosenow is a fourth-generation corn grower who serves on the Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board and is a representative to the U.S. Grains Council. He says Wisconsin could be impacted if Mexico stops buying genetically modified corn.
Rosenow says that genetically modified corn makes up roughly 90 percent of U.S. corn. And Mexico is the No. 1 buyer of U.S. corn. While not a lot of Wisconsin corn goes to Mexico, he says Wisconsin farmers would be “severely impacted” by Mexico’s decision to stop buying GM corn.
“Corn is… effected on the world market. The price of our corn here is still pretty much determined by what goes on on the Board of Trade,” Rosenow explains. “Wisconsin farmers would be very effected because the price we get would be greatly decreased.”
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