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GM Canola may be on the way
20 May 2002
Two giant chemical companies - Monsanto and Aventis Cropscience - are poised to apply for an Australian licence from the Gene Technology Regulator to release genetically modified canola, which could mean that the first commercial crop will be sown next year. The move comes despite the fears of many Australian farmers that export markets could be damaged. Most of Australia's canola crop is exported, and there is growing resistance to GM food in several key markets, such as Britain, where three supermarket chains are refusing to sell GM products. One WA grower, Julie Newman, said there's not much point in producing a food that people don't want and she doubted that many farmers would embrace it.
GM canola trials over the past five years reveal that pollen can travel as far as 3 kilometres, more than seven times the 400-metre buffer zone currently required for open-field testing. Ms Newman and her neighbours have threatened to sue each other if either plants GM seed and contaminates the other's crop.
However, a NSW canola grower, Hugh Roberts, said that he's in favour of moving to GM varieties, as long as trials show that they are superior to conventional varieties under Australian conditions. Another NSW farmer, Juliet McFarlane, said that Australia is still regarded as GM-free, with a clean green image. This gives it a competitive edge, she said, which is very important for market access.
The Australian, 20/05/2002, page 3.
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