USDA Skeptical Of Monsanto Sabotage Claim On ‘Zombie Wheat’ Probe

[Purveyor]

It is a mystery that could cost the American farmer billions: how rogue genetically modified wheat plants turned up on a farmer’s field in Oregon.

The scientist who first discovered the renegade grain – by dipping a plastic strip into a tube of pulped plant, in order to check its genetics – believes the GM wheat could have entered America’s food supply undetected years ago, and could still be in circulation.

“There’s a lot of potential for how it could have got into the supply,” said Carol Mallory-Smith, a professor of weed sciences at Oregon State University. “It could have already been processed. It could have gone for animal feed somewhere or it could have gone for something else. It could have gone for storage.”

The Department of Agriculture, which is conducting a secretive investigation into the renegade GM wheat outbreak, maintains the GM wheat remained confined to a single 125-acre field on a single farm in eastern Oregon. Officials said there was no evidence the contaminated wheat was in the marketplace.

Monsanto, which manufactured the altered gene and conducted field trials of the GM wheat several years ago, strongly suggested in a conference call with reporters on Friday that the company was the victim of sabotage of anti-GM campaigners. Robb Fraley, Monsanto’s chief technology officer, said:

It’s fair to say there are folks who don’t like biotechnology and who would use this as an opportunity to make problems.

MORE...

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/06/22/usda-skeptical-of-monsantos-sabotage-claim-in-zombie-wheat-probe/

[Catherina]

1. When has a single word of truth ever come out of Monsanto's mouth? n/t

[Buzz Clik]

2. I don't see in that article that the USDA has commented on sabotage. Maybe I missed it.

I found this comment interesting:

“It’s a mystery to me how they even found that GM wheat,” said Herb Marsh, 80, who has been farming in eastern Oregon his entire life. “It’s hard for me to swallow that he would go, and actually get it tested.

I've been thinking the same thing from the beginning.

Actually, the possibility and motivation for sabotage is easy to conceive, even if we ignore domestic Monsanto haters. US is a huge player in the international wheat market, but they have plenty of competition. A single report of rogue GMO wheat immediately slammed the door on US for a number of our best customers.