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By Will Ockenden
When the first genetically modified canola crops were planted earlier this year in Victoria and New South Wales, farmers would have been hoping for a good crop.But when the rains didn't come, both GM and conventional canola crops failed.Some farmers were forced to bale their crops, turning what was left into hay or silage to recoup losses.There are worries some of that hay, used locally or sent interstate, will contain GM canola seeds that will escape and grow.Alex Schaap is the General Manager of Tasmanian Biosecurity. He says he's surprised the problem started in the first season."If hay is exported, that hay may carry viable seeds. It would cause problems for maintaining GM freedom," he says."It's a bit early to say how much of a problem it will be, but it's something extra for us to look out for at the quarantine barrier."The company responsible for a variety of GM canola is Monsanto. It recently sent a letter to farmers growing GM canola. It said farmers should inform buyers the hay or silage includes GM material.The seller then has to give Monsanto the details of the buyer, including phone number and address. A spokeswoman at Monsanto said buyer details are needed to track the goods in case anything goes wrong.Scott Kinnear is from Biological Farmers Australia. He says even if Monsanto is tracking sales, it doesn't go far enough and GM segregation has broken down. "There's a lot of fodder that is traded. Fodder merchants move hay interstate. There's no way to know where the bales of hay will end up," he said."Monsanto's tracking system is commercial in confidence; it's not on the public record. Secondly merchants wouldn't be required to pass on the details of the buyers they sell their hay to. The tracking system won't add anything to the possible leakage of GM canola seeds right across the state of Victoria and possibly interstate."
In this report: Biological Farmers Australia spokesperson Scott Kinnear;General Manager of Tasmanian Biosecurity Alex Schaap
When the first genetically modified canola crops were planted earlier this year in Victoria and New South Wales, farmers would have been hoping for a good crop.But when the rains didn't come, both GM and conventional canola crops failed.Some farmers were forced to bale their crops, turning what was left into hay or silage to recoup losses.There are worries some of that hay, used locally or sent interstate, will contain GM canola seeds that will escape and grow.Alex Schaap is the General Manager of Tasmanian Biosecurity. He says he's surprised the problem started in the first season."If hay is exported, that hay may carry viable seeds. It would cause problems for maintaining GM freedom," he says."It's a bit early to say how much of a problem it will be, but it's something extra for us to look out for at the quarantine barrier."The company responsible for a variety of GM canola is Monsanto. It recently sent a letter to farmers growing GM canola. It said farmers should inform buyers the hay or silage includes GM material.The seller then has to give Monsanto the details of the buyer, including phone number and address. A spokeswoman at Monsanto said buyer details are needed to track the goods in case anything goes wrong.Scott Kinnear is from Biological Farmers Australia. He says even if Monsanto is tracking sales, it doesn't go far enough and GM segregation has broken down. "There's a lot of fodder that is traded. Fodder merchants move hay interstate. There's no way to know where the bales of hay will end up," he said."Monsanto's tracking system is commercial in confidence; it's not on the public record. Secondly merchants wouldn't be required to pass on the details of the buyers they sell their hay to. The tracking system won't add anything to the possible leakage of GM canola seeds right across the state of Victoria and possibly interstate."
In this report: Biological Farmers Australia spokesperson Scott Kinnear;General Manager of Tasmanian Biosecurity Alex Schaap
1 comment:
GM farmers will contaminate with their hay. It should be illegal to sell GM hay unless the farmer wants to become GM and is not under moritorium. It should be labeled and processed accordingly.
The reason that Monsanto wants details is to track their contamination and then go onto your private property, test the canola and bill you for being a GM canola grower, fine you their fee and then from then on you will be a GM grower and will have to pay their fees and charges. What other company would ask for the buyers of hay? It is not for "In case things go wrong" but "So that we can bill them when the contamination occurs for next year." Hear the words "Commercial in confidence" so that the farmers do not know they are getting GM contamination.
Alex Schaap should be looking at this from a "contamination for sure" attitude and should ban GM hay from entering Tasmania and farmers should demand it. GM canola is not what it is cracked up to be and does not increase yield as this clearly shows.
Concerned
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