subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite map
Sun, Sep 07 2008 

Published July 18, 2006 12:00 am -

Kansas wooing biotech rice firm


The Joplin Globe

The Associated Press

WICHITA, Kan. - A biotechnology firm that abandoned plans to grow biotech rice in California and Missouri amid protests by farmers and others in those states is now being courted by Kansas.

Ventria Bioscience, a small Sacramento, Calif.-based firm, expects to decide in about a month whether it will relocate its processing plant and rice acreage to Kansas, said Ventria president Scott Deeter.

Biopharming is the practice of growing food crops genetically engineered with human genes to produce drugs. Ventria's rice is used to make an experimental U.S. drug to treat diarrhea.

"We are in the process of expanding our production - and Kansas is on the short list for that expansion," Deeter said. "We haven't made a decision yet, but we are coming very close."

The other state on its short list is North Carolina, where the firm already grows 335 acres of its genetically modified rice, he said.

Leading efforts to lure Ventria here is Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Adrian Polansky and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Polansky first learned of the biotech opportunity after meeting Deeter six months ago at an international biotechnology meeting in Chicago.

Since then, economic development officials from several northeast Kansas communities have been quietly building support among the state's major farm organizations while putting together economic incentive packages to lure Ventria.

"We don't often get opportunities that are very beneficial to production agriculture, to our communities in Kansas and also tie to real benefits in this case to providing health care at a lower cost," Polansky said. "To me, it is a very exciting opportunity."

Some scientists aren't so sure, and fear the technology could threaten the safety of conventional food crops by inadvertently mixing with them. While it may be an advantage to grow pharmaceutical rice in a state like Kansas with no commercial rice production, it's still a "bad idea" to produce pharmaceutical compounds in food, said Jane Rissler, a senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists.

"This is not agricultural production - this is drug production," Rissler said. "This is pharmaceutical production and pharmaceutical production in food plants should be discouraged."

Ventria hopes to eventually grow 30,000 acres of rice in the state, possibly in five to six years, Polansky said. It would guarantee Kansas growers a profit of between $150 and $200 per acre above their current best economic crop. That would be $6 million a year of added income to Kansas farmers, Polansky said.

"It is an opportunity to grow a different crop that is a little more profitable than what we have been growing," said Steve Baccus, an Ottawa County farmer and president of the Kansas Farm Bureau. "We don't grow rice, but agronomically they tell us there is no reason we can't grow it here. It has just never been done."

Ventria would bring its research and processing facility to the state, creating significant paying jobs, Polansky said.

Rissler is skeptical, and cited a report last year from Robert Wisner, an economics professor at Iowa State University, that concluded that market forces will drive down farmer compensation. It said the acreage needed for bioengineered crops is so small, only a few farms would benefit.



print this story    email this story    comment on this story   

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.


Add a comment on this story





monster
wheels
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Get Our Free Pod Cast!

32 buy 1 get 1 free offers


Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!
Featured Jobs

MAID, FULL TIME
MAID, full time, in my home, 12-8 p.m. Monday through Friday. 479-957-5121....>MORE

AUTO INSURANCE EXPRESS
seeks licensed producers and Customer Service Representatives. Apply in person at 817 Maiden Lane or PO Box 3973, Joplin...>MORE

QUALIFIED PAINT/BODY TECHNICIAN
Looking FOR
Qualified Paint/Body Technician
Desert Rose Collision in Tulsa, OK is looking for a qualified Pai
...>MORE

DOMINOS PIZZA
of Webb City and Carthage are looking for friendly delivery experts. Must not be under 18, good driving record, car and ...>MORE

DIESEL TRUCK MECHANIC
DIESEL TRUCK mechanic, for general service, brakes, minor repairs, must have own tools, competitive pay. Joplin area. Mo...>MORE

OPIES TRANSPORT
Hiring Over the Road Drivers
No HazMat, No NYC
800-341-9963
www.opiestransport.com
...>MORE

CLOUDS MEATS/MEAT CUTTER
CLOUDS MEAT’S Inc. is looking for a meat cutter, must have carcass and meat boning experience also retail/cold storage ...>MORE

PRIVATE TUTOR
needed for 12 year old boy. Work in our home. 35 hours per week. 417-291-5419....>MORE

EXPERIENCED HELP IN FLOORING
and construction field, minimum of 4 years experience and clean personal background. Must have own transportation, clean...>MORE

COMMERCIAL CLEANING COMPANY
Commercial cleaning company looking for part time help in Joplin. Work approximately 2 to 3 hours per evening, 3 to 5 ev...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Transportation

PLYMOUTH 1987 RELIANCE
4 door, automatic, runs/drives good, $1075. 437-5682....>MORE

1997 DODGE RAM
3/4 ton cargo van, white, custom built shelves, good condition, 147,000 miles, $2500. 417-317-0603....>MORE

FORD 1999 MUSTANG
FORD, 1999 Mustang, white, 110,000 miles, 35th Anniversary, leather, aluminum wheels, V6. $4800. 417-667-5829....>MORE

TOYOTA 2005 CAMRY LE
TOYOTA, 2005 Camry LE, great car, must sell for pay off. $10,511. (417)629-6040...>MORE

BUICK 1998 RIVIERA
59,000 miles, $3550, full power, sunroof. (417)437-4424...>MORE

BUICK 1993 REGAL GRAN SPORT
buick, 1993 Regal Gran Sport, 2-door, automatic, black, 3800 motor, bucket seats, low miles, $1050. 417-434-7382....>MORE

YAMAHA 1998 GRIZZLY
winch, Big Foot kit, $2950;. Yamaha, 2002 Big Bear, multiple wheels. 417-825-6118, 417-627-0242...>MORE

BUICK 1993 REGAL
low miles, cold air,
real nice, gas saver, $2450. (417)782-2151
...>MORE

FORD 1987 F-250
Ford, 1987 F-250, 6.7, V8 automatic, 4x4, runs great, $850. (417)206-0930...>MORE

MITSBISHI 1996 ECLIPSE
Mitsubishi, 1996 Eclipse, automatic, sharp, $2850 or best offer. (417)434-6618....>MORE

See all ads

Featured Homes

OPEN HOUSE/2904 N. FORREST COURT
OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 2-4 P.M., Drive by 2904 N. Forrest Court off N. St. Louis and Zora and view this newly constructed hom...>MORE

16x80 3 BR, 2 BA
16x80 3 br, 2 ba, vinyl/shingle, patio door, raised kitchen, large garden tub, Deliver/anchored. $21,900. 417-869-5144...>MORE

TABLE ROCK LAKE
cabin, clean and neat. 4 Br, with appliances, covered boat slip with enclosed heated fishing dock. Good location on pave...>MORE

Open HOUSE SUNDAY 2 - 4
310 Tee Lane, Carl Junction Spacious 4 bedroom 2 bath in Briarbrook. Home is 3 years young and has approximately 2300 s...>MORE

28X56 3 BR, 2 BA CARPET
28x56, 3 br, 2 ba, new carpet, all appliances, solid wood cabinets, $35,900. 417-869-5144....>MORE

28X80 1999 5 BR 3 BA
28X80 1999 5 br, 3 ba, fireplace, needs new sheet rock and some work, $28,900 CASH. 417-869-5144....>MORE

3 BR, 2 BA, WEBB CITY
3 BR, 2 ba, nice Webb City area, central air, garage, deck, hot tub, $640 month. 417-396-1781....>MORE

BEAUTIFUL, 8 YEAR OLD HOME
Beautiful 2035 sq. ft home, approximately 8 years old on corner lot in great neighborhood. 3-4 BR, bonus room, 2 full BA...>MORE

3 BR, 2 BA 324 N. HARLEM
3 BR, 2 BA, 2 living rooms, very nice brick house, $78,900. Open Sunday 2-4. 324 N. Harlem, (417)499-6729...>MORE

ALL NEW INSIDE1! 2 BR
ALL NEW INSIDE! 2 BR, dining, 2 car gar, $88,000. 2316 Patterson. 438-7500....>MORE

See all ads

Other Cool Stuff

MINIATURE SCHNAUZER
Miniature Schnauzer puppy! AKC ,Salt and pepper female! Up to date on vaccinations and dewormings, tail docked, dew claw...>MORE

SUZUKI 2007 175
SUZUKI, 2007 175 4 stroke outboard; 2007 Chevrolet, 2500 Duramax, crew cab, long bed; 1978 1 ton Chevrolet, 8x12 flat be...>MORE

UNIQUE PIT BULL PUPS
UNIQUE pure bred Pit Bull pups, family friendly, variety of ages and prices, chocolates and whites. 417-358-2148....>MORE

GOOD QUALITY MIXED GRASS HAY
GOOD QUALITY mixed grass 4x5 net wrapped round bales, $30/bale picked up. Leave message, 417-624-6484, 417-592-4636....>MORE

2 SPACES AVAILABLE
900 square feet each, contact Jerry Black. (417)434-3990....>MORE

REFURBISHED REFRIGERATOR
Refurbished refrigerator. Runs well Do not need anymore $100 or best offer. Call (417)300-1397 for information....>MORE

2 BROS CYCLE
2Bros Cycle 1108 W. 4th St, Joplin Come see our shop. New business with great prices. 417-621-0557
2broscycle@att.n
...>MORE

BERMUDA
square bales, $5; round bales, $40; mixed round bales, $30. 499-3940....>MORE

WANTED: USED FENCE
chain link or privacy. (417)768-0133....>MORE

GRASSHOPPER MOWER
620 Grasshopper, 52” cut, power fold deck, 25 hours. $8000. (417)667-1942....>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2008. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index

 

 

Find A Home Find A Car