Australia Farmers Support
New South Wales (NSW) Government Stay on
GM Canola

REUTERS 19may03

SYDNEY - Australia's largest farmers' group welcomed a three-year ban on commercial genetically modified (GM) food crops in the state of New South Wales.

The New South Wales (NSW) government said it would introduce legislation next week to impose the moratorium before the federal Gene Technology Regulator approved a commercial release of GM canola.

Australia is now half-way through an eight-week public consultation period on the commercial release of GM canola after an April 1 clearance by the federal regulator.

State governments, however, have the power to ban GM crops in their jurisdictions. The NSW ban means Australia will not produce a significant GM canola crop this year even if federal authorities clear the way for it to do so.

A moratorium on the commercial release in NSW of GM food crops such as canola, mustard and field peas is effective from March 2003, said NSW Agriculture Minister Ian Macdonald. Cotton crops will be exempt.

The NSW Farmers Association said it supported the postponement of any general release of GM canola until segregation and trade issues were all addressed.

Trials must be big enough to test claims of the biotech companies about how crops perform in the field, as well as capabilities of the supply chain and domestic and international markets, said Mal Peters, the association president.

"This is worse than ... we thought. The minister can choose to approve cultivation of a GE (genetically engineered) food crop at any stage," Ian Cohen, a Greens Party member of state parliament said.

Australia is a major producer and exporter of canola, which is used in cooking oil. Farmers fear the loss of markets if they produce GM canola, and also are worried about a loss of competitiveness to GM competitors.