Jennifer Marohasy

a forum for the discussion of issues concerning the natural environment

Bans Lifted on GM Food Crops

By

Jen,

NSW and Victoria have just lifted the ban on genetically modified (GM) crops!

It wont take them long to see the benifits either… won’t take long before South Australia and Western Australia freak out because the yeilds back in the eastern states blow them away!

It’s about time Aussies embraced farming of the future.

Regards,
Mick

Information on the review of the moratorium on GM canola in Victoria can be found at the Victorian Department of Primary Industries website including the Review Panel report.

The Indepedent Review GM Crop Moratorium Final Report can be found at the NSW Department of Primary Industries website.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Chris Preston says

    It will be more a case that farmers will have the choice to select the herbicide tolerance that is right for their system. I think yields will increase because a number of farmers will move away from the triazine tolerant varieties. I also suspect wheat yields will increase as well through a combination of better weed control and lack of triazine residues in the soil.

    In addition, farmers who want to can continue to grow triazine tolerant canola and look for market premiums if these premiums eventuate. A win/win for Australian canola growers.

  2. Helen Mahar says

    Great step forward. For Australian farmers and for the environment. Now to persuade SA to join. And no, as a farmer I will not benefit, as canola is not grown commercially in my area. Something to do with rainfall and soils.

    For further information, read through the current posts on http://gmopundit.blogspot.com

  3. detribe says

    I’m pleased that the state Premiers are listening to PM Kevin Rudd and turning a new page and looking to the future in their decision making.

    I’m also pleased Ozzie farmers now have more choices for managing their cropping and hopefully making better profits.

    Our children and grandchildren will also thank us for deploying tools that will allow more food and less cleared land for farms.(No apologies to Bob Brown)

    GMO Pundit

  5. Nexus 6 says

    Good stuff. SA moratorium up soon too I believe. They’ll follow suit.

    Is it only canola or anything that’s approved by the OGTR that’s now allowed to be grown in NSW and VIC?

    Homework question for everybody: Who tests food in Oz to determine if it should or shouldn’t be labeled? Anybody?

  6. Robert says

    “Bans Lifted on GM Food Crops”

    Canola is hardly a food. The oil, which is supposedly chemically identical to the non-GM oil, is used for cooking and in processed foods. I never use Canola oil – I think it has a disgusting flavour, so I couldn’t care less what farmers do with it. I am however worried about GM Canola “weeds” spreading about the countryside, which as a grazier I don’t want in my pasture.

  7. Chris Preston says

    I don’t think you will need to be too worried about GM canola weeds, you are unlikely to get very many, unless you feed canola hay, and stock don’t mind eating them.

    The only likely issue you might have is if you decide you want to control them with glyphosate.

    It was the NSW Government in its wisdom who decided that canola was a “food crop” so it could ban its cultivation without affecting the cultivation of GM cotton.

  8. Schiller Thurkettle says

    This is terrible news.

    If this sort of thing spreads around Australia, it will compete against North American exporters.

    If Greenpeace and the Gene Network don’t turn things around fast, they won’t get the payoffs they’re used to.

    Might even have to sell their BMWs.