March 14, 2001
		The corn is as high as an elephant's eye Unsold reserves of U.S. corn may grow to nearly 2 billion bushels by the end of the summer largely due to consumer anxiety about genetically engineered grain in Japan, our largest importer of corn. The Japanese are especially concerned about StarLink, an unapproved variety of biotech corn thought to possibly cause an allergic response in some people. StarLink, produced by Aventis SA, stopped being produced last fall, but has cropped up many places since its initial discovery in Taco Bell brand taco shells. Last week, Greenpeace revealed that evidence of StarLink was detected in Morningstar Farms Corn Dogs. Morningstar Farms is owned by frequent Greenpeace target, Kellogg's. Because the StarLink corn was mixed in with conventional corn in U.S. grain elevators, Japan has completely halted the purchasing the grain. Stockpiles of U.S. corn are up 12 percent from March, 2000. "If the Japanese don't start buying corn soon, they could see spot shortages of grain, " said industry analyst, Sid Love. "But that shows how scared they are of StarLink, that they are willing to put themselves in that position." This is the fourth time in four months that the USDA cut its projection for 2001 corn exports. The price of a bushel might drop to its lowest level in 15 years, predicted Dan Basse, executive vice president of an agricultural forecasting company in Chicago. "It's like a bad cold you can't get rid of," said Basse. "It has been damning to American agriculture.