Two Australian states have said they will lift four-year bans on growing genetically modified canola.
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The move by New South Wales and Victoria has prompted calls by farmers for similar bans to be lifted in other states. But concerns have also been expressed in Western Australia and Tasmania that the lifting of the bans in NSW and Victoria will put them at risk from contamination.
New South Wales Primary Industries Minister Ian McDonald said farmers in the state would be allowed to choose which type of canola they grow, allowing them to compete on level terms with overseas suppliers. Canada and the US dominate the international trade in Canola, while Australia is a comparatively minor producer.
While the NSW government will be amending existing legislation in its current session, McDonald pointed out that national controls would remain. “Existing strict health and environment assessments will be maintained at a national level through the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator,” he said.
The state will retain the power to refuse approval to cultivate a specific crop if it fails to meet criteria imposed by an expert committee.
Victoria, meanwhile, plans to lift its ban in February, following a report by the state’s chief scientist Sir Gustav Nossal. GM canola will be available for planting in the 2008 growing season, State Premier John Brumby said.
Ministers in Western Australia and Tasmania have called on New South Wales and South Australia to maintain the bans, saying their removal will increase the threat of contamination and undermine Australia’s export markets.
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By GlobalDataHowever, National Farmers’ Federation president David Crombie said the move would strengthen the country’s position in international markets, and allow farmers to capitalise on the advantages GM technology offers.
“NSW and Victorian farmers can now capitalise on the opportunities gene technology poses for agricultural production – finally able to develop more environmentally-sustainable, drought-resistant and better yielding crops,” Crombie said. “This will make farmers more efficient and competitive on the world stage. For too long, Australian farmers have been left behind as the international marketplace embraced biotechnology as a safe and viable agricultural science.” Crombie urged other state governments to follow suit.
Trevor De Landgrafft, president of the Western Australian Farmers’ Federation, called for the state government to lift its ban.
