Altered rice is fraught with perils

To the editor:

Your article on growing pharmaceutical rice in Missouri left out some important information. The most important thing missing is the results of Ventria's experiment of growing rice in California. There are no results, because not a single successful product has been made from pharmaceutical rice, even though the project has been in the works since 1991.

Also missing is the real history of the company's rice-growing exploits in California. The Contra Costa Times reported that the USDA cited Ventria for growing pharmaceutical rice "within 100 feet of rice intended for human and animal food," considered close enough to contaminate regular commercial rice crops. Ventria was supposed to increase its California crop to 120 acres in 2004, but California blocked the permit. Finally, even if Ventria's genetically altered rice could be kept from contaminating food rice directly, there is a possibility of indirect contamination with weedy red rice, a common Missouri weed. The last thing our farmers need is a genetically enhanced superweed.

Missouri farmers and citizens should know the whole story and the possible risks, and they should decide if the potential benefits are worth it. Northwest Missouri State University should not be subsidizing experiments in Southeast Missouri on a project rejected by California behind the backs of Southeast Missouri farmers.

The Central Missouri Farmers Union is calling for a minimum 30-day public-comment and hearing period before pharmaceutical rice could be grown in Missouri. Isn't that a reasonable idea?

SHIELA PARDEE, Jackson