Washington, DC
August 12, 2008
The U.S. Department of
Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS)
issued today its August Crop Production
report containing NASS's estimates of yield and production
for corn, soybeans and other spring-planted row crops.
According to the report, U.S. farmers are on pace to produce the
second largest corn crop and fourth largest soybean crop in
history.
Sharon Bomer Lauritsen, executive vice president, food and
agriculture for the Biotechnology
Industry Organization (BIO), issued the following statement
in response to the NASS August Crop Production report:
"Meeting the growing demand for row crop supplies for food and
energy production is being achieved thanks in part to
innovations in plant biotechnology.
"According to USDA's report issued today, soybean production is
forecast at 2.97 billion bushels, up 15 percent from last year.
Corn yields are expected to average 155 bushels per acre, up 3.9
bushels from last year. If realized, this would be the second
highest corn yield on record, behind 2004.
"Plant biotechnology helps contribute to crop yield increases,
allowing farmers to meet the growing demand for food, feed and
fuel. Currently, 91 percent of soybeans and 73 percent of corn
grown in the United States are biotech varieties, which enable
these plants to resist insect and weed threats.
"In the very near future, biotechnology will allow crops to
survive in drought and other adverse growing conditions. These
breakthroughs will not only help American farmers, but farmers
around the world.”
USDA's Crop Production report is published monthly and is
available online at www.nass.usda.gov.
Upcoming BIO Events
Pacific Rim Summit on
Industrial Biotechnology and Bioenergy
Sept. 10-12, 2008
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Intellectual Property Council Committee Fall Conference and
Meeting
October 20-22, 2008
Orlando, Fla.
BIO HR Conference 2008
October 26-28, 2008
San Diego, Calif.
Advanced Business Development Course
October 27-29, 2008
San Francisco, Calif.
BIO Investor Forum 2008
October 29-31, 2008
San Francisco, Calif.
Advanced Business Development Course
November 14-16, 2008
Mannheim/Heidelberg, Germany
BIO-Europe 2008
November 17-19, 2008
Mannheim/Heidelberg, Germany
2009 BIO International Convention
May 18-21, 2009
Atlanta, Ga.
BIO represents more than 1,200
biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state
biotechnology centers and related organizations across the
United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are
involved in the research and development of innovative
healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental
biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International
Convention, the world's largest gathering of the biotechnology
industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering
meetings held around the world. |
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