Biotech wheat is the answer to increasing wheat yields, North Dakota Grain Growers Association President Byron Richard says.

Wheat yields are flat but world demand is increasing, the Belfield farmer said.

"When you look at other commodities that are involved with biotechnology, like corn and soybeans … they're just making leaps and bounds in increased production per acre," he said.

"We're pushing very aggressively to try to get private industry to take a look at going back into research (into biotech wheat) and try to move forward the process that we need to do in order to achieve the biotech wheat in order to get us more competitive," Richard said.

Opponents of biotech wheat say some key overseas customers don't want it, so producing it wouldn't make sense.

- Associated Press