by staff World of Agriculture 8-3-16
Japan is halting imports of western white and feed wheat from the U.S. Pacific coast. Japan?s halt of wheat imports comes after unapproved genetically-modified crops were found in an unplanted field in Washington State. However, imports of wheat from the U.S. Gulf region will continue. Bloomberg reports the measure should prevent contaminated supplies from entering Japan, Asia?s second-biggest wheat importer. Japan says the country will lift the restriction once a test system is in place, but no time-frame for developing a system was given. The U.S. is the largest wheat supplier to Japan, representing almost 60 percent of wheat purchased by the nation. U.S. regulators have not approved genetically modified wheat. The engineered crop found in Washington was developed by Monsanto, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
