TheBioenergySite Latest News
Farming and Technology Address Grain Demand
US - More can be done now to increase the amount of grain farmers harvest from their land and help address the strong and growing global demand for grain, Mike Gumina, vice president of DuPont business Pioneer Hi-Bred , told a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization Conference held yesterday in Rome, Italy.“Improved farming practices and technology exist today that could help farmers in both developed and developing countries increase their productivity,” Mike said at the conference on world food security. “Better crop management practices and better seeds – both conventional and biotech – have tremendous potential to increase supply and improve the lives of farmers.”
 |
Mike said that of the three ways to increase available supply – more land in production, drawing from stored supplies, and increasing yield – the only sustainable option is increasing yields. There is relatively little additional land that would not be environmentally sensitive that could be brought into production. Global stores of grain are at all time lows, he noted.
“While implementing and sustaining new agricultural practices is challenging, we’ve seen it work around the world,” Mike said. “Farmers in many countries like Ethiopia have increased corn yields by switching from open pollinated varieties to conventional hybrid corn. At the same time, farmers in countries like Spain, Argentina and the United States are increasing harvestable yield with biotech traits.
“Science companies like DuPont are investing heavily to develop seeds and provide technical support to help improve farmer productivity around the globe. By bringing together a number of advancements, DuPont is planning to increase yields for both its soybean and corn seed products by 40 percent in the next 10 years,” Mike said.
“Farmers, agri-businesses, grain handlers and public extension programs should be encouraged to work together to address the near-term needs. Longer term, it is critical that government policies create an environment for advancing sustainable productivity.”
TheBioenergySite News Desk
Related news items:
Daewoo Logistics Biofuel Project for Madagascar
Inland Empire Oilseeds Starts Biodiesel Production- CME: Crude Oil Prices Impact Livestock Production
Sugarcane Expansion to be Restricted- Ethanol Production Minor Factor in Land Use Changes
Related News Categories: Biogas, Wind, Company
Latest Bioenergy Industry News
- Cooperation Agreements for Brazil and Canada
NTR in Algae Joint Venture- Symposium on Future of Biodiesel
- Consumers Energy Wind Farm Plan
- Commissioner at International Conference on Biofuels
- Daewoo Logistics Biofuel Project for Madagascar
Biodiesel from Urban Waste- Wind Farm Plan for Brazil
Egypt Wants Brazilian know-how in Biofuels- Inland Empire Oilseeds Starts Biodiesel Production
