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USA Rice Producers' Summary (continued)
From our interviews with rice producers, three central themes emerged
regarding adoption of herbicide-resistant GMO rice: agronomic performance,
environmental impact, and market concerns. With respect to agronomic
performance, rice farmers generally had a positive perception of
the GMO rice varieties, although opinions were mixed. From an environmental
perspective, rice producers reported that they believe that GMO
rice is an environmentally sound technology, although this perception
was not conveyed with 100% confidence.
 Market
concern was the most pressing issue for the growers we interviewed
with respect to GMO rice - although not every grower factored this
into their adoption considerations. On-farm economic efficiencies
were generally secondary to concern over not being able to sell
harvested GMO rice at their usual markets. Most of the rice producers
indicated that they would not adopt herbicide-resistant GMO rice
unless they could be assured that their harvest would be accepted
at local mills and by their contracting clients.
While present-day concerns over consumer and market place acceptance
would inhibit rice growers' adoption of GMO rice today, most of
the growers interviewed believe that eventually negative market
stigma associated with GMO rice technologies will recede. They believe
that products such as RR and LL rice - and future products that
provide protection against insects and fungal infections, for example
- will save rice producers millions of dollars. They see such savings
as critical to their future (and their children's futures) in the
rice industry.
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