Du Pont in retreat on GM wheat - ditches hybrids

[geno@zap.a2000.nl]

On 22 Mar 2002, at 22:23, ngin wrote:

Norfolk Genetic Information Network (ngin),
http://www.ngin.org.uk
---
"It now looks very doubtful that GM is going to be accepted in the 
EU
in the next five, 10 or even 15 years," Du Pont's Robert Bird ---
http://www.fwi.co.uk/article.asp?con=1855&sec=18&hier=2&style= 
Du Pont
ditches hybrid wheats Source: Farmers Weekly, 22 March 2002 
By Charles
Abel

CHEMICAL giant Du Pont has pulled out of its hybrid wheat 
programme,
blaming limited market uptake, low crop prices and little opportunity
for using them to deliver GM traits.

"The short-term returns were simply not in line with the investment
being made," said Du Pont wheat business specialist Robert Bird.

Du Pont had hoped to use hybrids as the vehicle to deliver GM 
traits
for better grain quality and disease resistance in wheat.

Hybrids make the process easier, said Mr Bird, and help protect 
seed
prices because farm-saving is not an option.

"It now looks very doubtful that GM is going to be accepted in the 
EU
in the next five, 10 or even 15 years," he said.

Du Pont's GM efforts have now shifted to maize and soya instead.

The business is now up for sale. Mr Bird said there had been a lot of
interest and hopes varieties will be available this autumn - a
decision is expected within three weeks.

The company's hybrids, Hyno-Esta, Hyno-Rista and Hyno-Renta, had
secured a reputation for boosting yield on marginal sites and from
late drillings.

But uptake was slow, only accounting for 4000ha in the UK and Eire
this year.

The main reason was the difficulty of covering the higher cost of seed
produced using a chemical hybridising agent when wheat prices are so
low.

Allied Grain, which marketed Du Pont hybrids, is disappointed, but not
surprised by its decision to pull out.

"The cost structure in arable farming has not helped," said seeds
director Paul Brown.

He doubts that hybrid wheat seed will be available for the coming
autumn. "Monsanto put their hybrid wheat programme on ice and I expect
Du Pont will do the same."