As a result of increasing benefits from biotech crop varieties,
farmers are adopting the technology with greater ease than ever
before, according to a new study update released by the National
Center of Food and Agricultural Policy. In 2004, U.S. farmers
planted biotech crops on 118 million acres, an increase of 11%
over the previous year. Compared to conventional crops, biotech
varieties increased food production by 6.6 billion pounds, a 24%
improvement from 2003, and provided $2.3 billion in additional
net returns for U.S. growers, a 21% increase from the previous
year. Biotech crops also reduced pesticide use by an additional
34%, or 15.6 million pounds. Pesticide use dropped by 15.6
million from 2003 to 2004. The study examined 11 case studies of
six biotech crops planted in the United States in 2004 â€” corn,
soybean, cotton, papaya, canola and squash â€” and is based on
data from the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service
and surveys of crop specialists from various universities.
According to t