Governor worried engineered wheat found in Oregon could threaten Washington
May 29, 2013, 1:01 PM | Updated: 1:24 pm
Governor Jay Inslee says he's concerned that genetically engineered wheat has been found at a farm in Oregon. (AP Photo/file)
(AP Photo/file)
Governor Jay Inslee says he’s concerned that genetically engineered wheat has been found at a farm in Oregon.
Washington State Department of Agriculture spokesman Hector Castro explains something that impacts the wheat industry in one state can often affect its neighbors.
“The concern obviously is that this situation could have a direct impact on our Washington wheat growers which makes up a huge part of our agriculture industry,” says Castro.
The U.S. Agriculture Department revealed the discovery, made at an unnamed location in Oregon earlier this year.
The USDA reportedly has placed a high priority on answering questions raised by the discovery.
“There is no genetically engineered wheat that is currently authorized for use in commercial cultivation, so the question the USDA is going to try and answer with their investigation is how this occurred,” says Castro.
Inslee says the strain of wheat was previously assessed by the USDA and was found safe for human consumption, although it has not been cultivated commercially.
