USA
February 18, 2016

National Sorghum Producers joined other agricultural organizations this week in requesting an extension of the current comment period on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement (EIS) and alternatives to current biotechnology regulations. The current comment period is open until March 7, 2016. NSP and others respectfully requested APHIS extend the comment period by an additional 60 days to May 6, 2016. According to the group’s letter: “A thirty-day comment period with regard to the NOI does not allow all interested stakeholders adequate time to formulate robust and constructive comments on the broad and complex issues explored in the NOI.” Read the full letter here.NSP is committed to engaging constructively to help USDA develop a broadly supported, science-based system of regulation. However, NSP is concerned that the APHIS proposed changes to the seed technology regulatory framework would ultimately have the effect of regulating non-transgenic or non-genetically modified crops in the same fashion they do transgenic ones currently. NSP is concerned that this expansion of APHIS regulatory powers would slow down the delivery of new technologies and varieties to farmer’s fields as well as significantly increase costs. 

Submit comments to APHIS at https://goo.gl/8tSEOb.

Website: http://sorghumgrowers.com

Published: February 19, 2016