| South Australian Govt plans GM crop ban extension/Oz bulldust (19/9/2006) | |
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1.OZ BULLDUST EXTRAVAGANZA 1.OZ BULLDUST EXTRAVAGANZA If you thought the insane hype of many pro-GM lobbyists hard to credit, you should see what they have to put up with down under. Take this load of bulldust from just the one short article below: 1. The former head of the South Australian Farmers Federation, John Lush: ...drought-resistant GM crops could save farmers millions of dollars [there are no drought resistant GM crops - they're all still "in development"] "We have the technology that we could increase the potential of that crop by about three-fold on a year like this and it would be a viable crop and we're not using that technology" [we're not using that technology cos it doesn't exist!] 2.Centre for Plant Functional Genomics plant geneticist, Mark Tester "The US farmers have no problems exporting their GM crops and I think the Australian farmer is seeing that." [sure, that's why the US went to the WTO to try and prize open markets; and why US rice farmers are burying Bayer in law suits to try and recoup their losses; and why US corn farmers have lost their export market to Europe, and why US soybean exports to the EU have "dropped to almost economically insignificant levels"; and why nobody dares to commercialise GM wheat... because there's no problems about exporting GM crops. 2.South Australian Govt defends planned GM crop ban extension The South Australian Government has defended its plan to extend a moratorium on growing genetically modified (GM) crops, saying it has benefits in the global market. A ban is in place until 2007, but the Government wants to extend it by a year to bring the state in line with the rest of the country. The former head of the South Australian Farmer's Federation, John Lush, has called for the ban to be overturned. He says drought-resistant GM crops could save farmers millions of dollars. "We have the technology that we could increase the potential of that crop by about three-fold on a year like this and it would be a viable crop and we're not using that technology," he said. Agriculture Minister Rory McEwen says being GM-free opens up markets. "We must not put markets at risk and that is very important, that Australia continue to build a clean green image," he said. "It might be the differentiation we need in a global market place, that gives us the extra returns. "There actually might be significant market benefits by being the odd one out." Centre for Plant Functional Genomics plant geneticist Mark Tester says the ban makes no sense. "The Canadian farmers don't have any [problems] selling their GM crops," he said. "The US farmers have no problems exporting their GM crops and I think the Australian farmer is seeing that. "If there are markets out there to purchase GM crops ... we will be able to sell GM crops. There's a clear benefit." |
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