The Iowa Corn Growers Association says studies at Iowa State University prove genetically altered corn was not to blame for problems with a Harlan hog farmer’s herd. Jerry Rosman of Harlan says the biotech corn caused his sows to have a fake pregnancy, but I-C-G-A spokesperson Paula Chizek says the tests proved him wrong. She says the psuedo-pregnancy has more to do with management and testing than it does the livestock feed. Chizek says corn growers are upset the whole thing has gotten so much attention. She says the issue surfaced in May, but didn’t escalate until a Washington, D.C. based advocacy group got involved. Chizek says the “Friends of the Earth” group is anti-farmer, anti-agriculture and anti-scientific.She says the group put out unfounded attacks on the corn industry and it was unfortunate that a radical group could influence intelligent people. Chizek says biotech corn has stood the test of time. She says B-T corn has been on the market for six years, and this was the only case they could show of a possible problem with hogs. She says the research has proven the positive benefits of B-T corn. Chizek says the B-T corn has been shown to actually retard the growth of some of the molds and mycotoxins that would cause problems in animal feed. Chizek says the whole issue has given B-T corn an unecessary black eye.
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