Nebraska farmers frustrated by Mexican plan to stop buying GMO corn from U.S.

LINCOLN, Neb. (Nebraska Examiner) — Nebraska’s corn growers and growers in 22 other states are unhappy with one of their best international customers, Mexico. 

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in 2020 announced plans to stop allowing imports of bioengineered corn by the end of January. 

Mexican officials have argued the ban is necessary to protect Mexico’s ancient native corn varieties from genetically modified seeds. 

López Obrador has also hinted that he might be open to negotiating a deal with the U.S., BBC reported. 

About 90% of the American corn crop has been engineered or altered, according to the Nebraska Corn Growers Association.

State ag sales statistics show that Nebraska exported more than $348 million of corn to Mexico, the state’s top export market for corn. 

Nebraska’s corn growers and other American agricultural organizations called on President Joe Biden’s team to use upcoming trade talks Friday to change López Obrador’s mind.

They urged the president to file a trade dispute under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, the successor to NAFTA.

Andy Jobman, president of the Nebraska Corn Growers, said growers are “baffled” by the administration’s “lack of action on this issue.”

He said years of agricultural research shows genetically modified corn is “safe for human consumption.” 

The 23 corn grower groups wrote a letter saying farmers are “in the process of making planting and purchasing decisions for next spring.”

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and a group of 25 senators from both parties signed onto a letter criticizing Mexico’s move.

“These actions are unsupported by science and a breach of USMCA,” the letter said. 

It argued that efforts by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office have not been enough. 

The letter encouraged the Biden administration to consider “all options available” to “hold Mexico to their trade commitments.”

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