Japan Suspends Wheat Imports From Pacific Northwest States
The suspension comes after the U.S. Agriculture Department found genetically modified wheat growing on an Oregon farm. That wheat has not been approved for U.S farming, and it's not clear how the wheat found its way onto the farm.
RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
NPR's business news begins with Japan's wheat ban.
Japan has suspended wheat imports from the Pacific Northwest states. This comes after the U.S. Agricultural Department found genetically modified wheat growing on an Oregon farm - as we reported on this program yesterday. GMO wheat has not been approved for U.S. farming, and it's not clear how the wheat found its way onto the farm.
Japan is one of the biggest importers of American wheat. Oregon produces a half billion dollars worth of wheat annually, almost all of it for export.
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