KEARNEY - An emerging economy and the need for food security brought a dozen Guatemalan officials to Kearney's Monsanto seed corn plant Sunday morning as the first stop on a U.S. tour to learn about production of genetically modified crops.

The delegation includes representatives of Guatemala's agriculture, economy and environment ministries; its congress; and private industry.

"The purpose of the visit is to learn about a new technology in agriculture, especially the one related to genetically modified organisms, how it works here and the possibility of adopting it in Guatemala," said delegation leader Carmen Sandoval, who is the Ministry of Agriculture's vice-minister of livestock. She spoke through interpreter Karla Tay, an agriculture specialist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Ag Service in Guatemala.

Stan Garbacz, agricultural trade representative with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, said the tour schedule includes meetings today with Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman and University of Nebraska-Lincoln biotechnology specialists, a stop at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, and then on to Washington, D.C., where the delegation will be joined by Guatemala Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Julio Recinos.

Garbacz said Nebraska's interest is ensuring that Guatemala's GMO policy is based on sound science.
"We don't want that to become a hurdle ... so that any grain or livestock can be freely traded," he said, adding that hosting the information-gathering tour is "a perfect example of actively looking forward to a good trading relationship."

Sandoval and Max Gnzalez, manager of the ag research arm of Guatemala's Ministry of Agriculture, said there are no trade limits related to GMOs. Their goal is to see how the technology could be used by Guatemalan farmers.

Gnzalez described a typical small farm as less than one hectare (2.47 acres) on steep topography in an indigenous community. Crop production centers on vegetables, fruits and white corn for tortillas.

He said that as Guatemalans become more interested in developing their own crop varieties, GMO technology could allow them to include traits such as protection against pests and diseases.
"Guatemalans know how to modify varieties with classical selection, but not how to do it at the molecule level," Gnzalez said through interpreter Tay.

Sandoval said they also will study any issues related to using GMO crops for human consumption.
She and Gnzalez said information gathered on the fact-finding tour will be taken back to the administration headed by new President Alvaro Colom Caballeros. After conducting workshops and seminars, they'll see how GMO issues fit into the president's priorities.

Sandoval said other tour goals are to make contacts for technology information and trade. Garbacz and Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Greg Ibach of Sumner made some contracts during a February visit to Guatemala.

Leading Sunday's tour of Kearney's Monsanto plant were Plant Manger Jeff Tremel and Operations Supervisors Michael Oschner and John Forsyth.

Tremel explained that Monsanto contracts with area farmers to raise the seed corn. "It's green corn on the cob with husks around it" when harvested, he said. "We dry it, shell it, size it, clean it and put it in the bag for sale to farmers the next year.

"However, we're about a week away from harvest, so no equipment will be running today."

The Guatemalans asked many questions about why the corn is harvested green and on the ear. Tremel said the method prevents kernel damage and helps keep varieties and traits separated from the field to the plant.

Oschner said all seed corn must be harvested before the first killing frost - harvest generally takes about six weeks - because there's much lower germination in corn allowed to dry in the field.

The Monsanto officials said all plant processes, including the rubber-coated rollers that remove husks, are designed to limit kernel damage. Hand sorting of ears and final sorting of kernels in the conditioning tower using color monitors and gravity tables are keys to bagging healthy, clean and uniform seed.

Tremel said seed information is detailed on each bag with a label that includes treatment types, details to track the corn back to the field, size, weight, variety and traits.

"It's very important for Guatemala to learn the whole process of GMO production," Sandoval said, and then adapt any policy, framework or regulations to the specific needs at home.