Wyden Statement on Japan’s Decision to Resume Purchases of Oregon Wheat

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) issued the following statement today on the decision by the Japanese government to resume purchases of U.S. western-white wheat. The decision ends a two-month ban on the grain purchases following the apparent discovery of unapproved gene-altered crop on an Oregon farm. 

“With the wheat crop ready for harvest, the news that Japan will join South Korea and Taiwan in resuming purchasing of Oregon wheat comes at the perfect time for wheat growers and for the state’s economy. This announcement means that all of Oregon’s Asian customers are now confident that the wheat they are buying is free of genetically modified organisms. This could not have been accomplished without USDA’s unprecedented transparency and openness throughout the course of their ongoing GE wheat investigation. While the source of the genetically engineered wheat found in one Oregon field of one farm remains a mystery, there is no doubt that the wheat being exported meets the demands of our Asian trading partners.”

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