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Miguel Arazo


Major Crops: Corn, barley

Farm Size: 300 acres (120 hectares)

Years Farming: 28+

Favorite Benefits: Better for the environment, increased yield, greater peace of mind

Family: Married, two children

With biotech seeds, you may be more confident.
With biotech seeds, you may be more confident.
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Video Transcript


My name is Miguel Arazo. I have been working as a farmer for 28 years. I'm married. I have two children, and I live in this village. …

I got into farming because I liked it very much — more than working in an office or working for other people. … What I like the most is harvesting. There you see the fruit of all your work during the year. …

With biotech seeds, you may be more confident. … Considering the risk from the corn borer, we can seed more confidently now. When the corn borer attacked strongly … as happened two years ago, the losses were up to 40 or 50 percent. In a few hectares, we collected 34 metric tons of fallen corncobs by hand. That is unacceptable.

So, last year I planted 80 percent transgenic. … Even when there are no borer attacks you get 7 or 8 percent higher yields with transgenics. That's an increase of many kilos. …

… You enjoy more free time because you don't need to be so dependent on sulphates and insecticides, that traditional corn requires. … I believe Bt corn is better for the environment. … In this region, non- Bt traditional corn has to be sprayed with insecticide two or three times, but there is no need to spray Bt corn at all. … Certainly, you feel safer planting Bt. The farmer's life is improved, and you enjoy more peace of mind. …

The technology that I would like to have ... is weed control. The possibility of just one pass of say, Roundup, and having the weeds eliminated from the corn. … It's fabulous. Certainly, I know that half the world can use it, but old Europe has her quirks. … We are at a disadvantage because we cannot use it.

Editor's Notes:

  • Bt corn contains a protein from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) that protects corn plants from specific lepidopteron insect pests.
  • Roundup® is a non-selective agricultural herbicide and a registered trademark of Monsanto Company.
  • 1 hectare = 2.5 acres
  • 1 kilo = 2.2 pounds

© 2007 Monsanto Company. All rights reserved. The copyright holder consents to the use of this material and the images in the published context only and solely for the purpose of promoting the benefits of agricultural biotechnology.