VICTORIAN farmers must embrace new technology, including genetically modified crops, to battle the effects of climate change and increased global competition, Premier John Brumby has warned. The plan, called Future Farming: Productive, Competitive and Sustainable and flagged in yesterday’s Age, will spend more than $100 million on developing new farm technology such as crops and grasses resistant to drought, salt and the cold. [...] And some of that innovation, he said, such as allergy-resistant feed grasses, would involve GM crops in a bid to increase productivity. ”Last year, in this (Horsham) region most farmers wouldn’t have got through without the new (non-GM) wheat varieties,” he said.

Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) new Feed Grade durum wheat Zulu, and Feed Grade bread wheat Zebu, combine very high grain yield, early to mid maturity, good straw strength, excellent resistance to the three rusts (stem leaf and stripe) and adequate yellow leaf spot resistance. Agronomic type of both varieties is excellent and maturity suits main season sowing.

A FOREIGN pest could destroy Australia’s soy bean industry. [...] ”The Australian soy bean market isn’t competitive worldwide in terms of production,” Mr Larsson said. ”The only reason we are surviving is because we are one of the only remaining GMO-free markets. It’s vital we stay that way.

Australian authorities say they have not signed off on a new global vision for agriculture because it focuses too much on economics and not enough on biotechnology. [...] He says the report was weakened by an undue focus on controversial trade and other economic issues, which should have been dealt with in other international forums. The report calls for fairer global trade rules and economic incentives for farmers whose practices conserve the environment.

That the Greater Bendigo City Council request:

1. The Federal Minister for the Environment to investigate the impact of Genetically Modified Organisms under Section 69 of the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

2. The State Government to declare the City of Greater Bendigo a GE Free Zone, as is possible under Section 21 of the Victorian Gene Technology Act, on marketing grounds.

The South Australian Government has moved to indefinitely extend its ban on GM crops in that State following Cabinet approval to extend existing regulations under the Genetically Modified Crops Management Act 2004.

The current legislation banning GM crops was due to expire on April 29. But SA Agriculture Minister Rory McEwen said that under the terms of the Act, the Government was required to undertake a further six week period of public consultation, which included a series of public meetings around the State in March.

That the Greater Bendigo City Council request:

1. The Federal Minister for the Environment to investigate the impact of Genetically Modified Organisms under Section 69 of the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

2. The State Government to declare the City of Greater Bendigo a GE Free Zone, as is possible under Section 21 of the Victorian Gene Technology Act, on marketing grounds.

The first thing growers keen to grow Roundup Ready must do is complete a Monsanto accreditation course. [...] Next, farmers must sign a technical users’ agreement (TUA) which will capture specific planting details, including acreage, locations and planned sowing dates. They must also fill in a paddock resistance risk calculator, called the Paddock Risk Assessment Management Option Guide (PRAMOG), which will assess the risk of glyphosate resistance, especially in terms of ryegrass.

CITY of Maribyrnong councillors want to lead the charge to stop the growing of genetically engineered crops in Victoria. At last month’s council meeting, a notice of motion – put forward by Catherine Cumming – was accepted and officers will now prepare a report on how the council can go about declaring itself a GE-free zone. And Cr Cumming wants to take that a step further, using the contents of the report, which is expected to be presented at the May council meeting, to write to the state and federal governments to outline community views on the issue.

Farmers could soon be swapping writs over paddock fences as the battle over the introduction of genetically modified crops moves into the legal system.

Anti-GM farmers are worried that their crops will become contaminated and export markets will dry up. The Network of Concerned Farmers, which opposed GM crops, is distributing letters to pro-GM farmers, warning them they’ll face personal legal action to recover any losses caused by the introduction of the controversial seeds. But pro-GM farmers say the campaign is nonsense.