What Are Value Enhanced Grains?

Value enhanced grains simply refers to grains that are genetically modified or engineered to carry certain traits. Farmers and processors are showing great interest towards value-added grains. By enhancing the qualities or traits of grains, farmers become more satisfied, grain supplies are increased, consumers’ demands are met, and the grain’s value increases.

Grain enhancement is a new and effective concept that is now being employed in the grain industry. This help farmers and processors create changes in the production of grains depending on the needs and demands of consumers.

Value enhanced grains open up a lot of opportunities for grain growers and farmers. One reason why valued enhanced grains are popular these days is because they help boost diversity in the production of grains.

Forces Propelling the Grain Industry

The grain industry is now being propelled by a variety of forces that have a significant effect not only grain production but also to grain marketing. Value enhanced grains are basically a result of genetic modifications. Genetically enhancing the traits of grains help farmers to produce herbicide resistant, pest resistant and drought resistant grains.

Value-added traits engineered on grains are done to satisfy the ever changing demands of end-users. Consumers, these days, are becoming more and more specific about what they expect from grain products. Because of this, processors feel the need to come up with specialty grains (ones with value-added traits) in order to meet these demands. Grain enhancement helps processors to adjust the grain products they produce according to the consumer’s demand.

Some Examples of Specialty or Value Added Grains

High Protein Corn. High oil corn hybrids are now being widely engineered these days in which amino acid profiles are added to the hybrids. This type of grains is used mainly for livestock feeding.

Specialty Soybeans. Soybeans produced today can now be modified to carry specific genetic traits.

Plant Genetics

Specialty grains are infused with unique genetic characteristics or traits to assume specific uses. For instance, corn engineered with high protein is now being used as livestock feed. This value enhanced grain present a more cost-effective alternative to the more expensive protein sources. High yielding white corn, meanwhile, is mainly used for alkaline cooking commonly observed in Mexican foods. The value added trait to high yielding white corn is quite beneficial, and targeted towards, the Mexican market.

Thanks to advancement made to plant genetics, farmers and producers now have full control on what intrinsic qualities they can add to the grain they are producing or growing. This in turn allows them to improve the genetic qualities of a particular type of grain.