Well-placed sources in several segments of the rice industry tell Delta Farm Press that, on Monday (March 5) afternoon, the USDA will announce a “stop sale” — or suspension of sales — on the rice variety, Clearfield 131.

The reason is an unknown transgenic (GM) trait has been found in the variety.

Testing has shown the trait isn’t one of the USDA-approved LibertyLink traits — LL 601, LL 62, and LL 06.

The testing issues were discussed at the Arkansas State Plant Board meeting last Friday and helped push the board to ban CL 131 for planting in 2007. For more on that meeting, see http://deltafarmpress.com/news/070305-clearfield-131/.

e-mail: dbennett@farmpress.com