Farm groups’ hopes of a swift ending to the WA ban on genetically modified crops have been dashed after Agriculture Minister Kim Chance confirmed the moratorium would remain for the term of government and further warned the policy would not change until there was a significant swing in consumer attitudes towards GM food. Calls for softening of the policy to allow GM cotton to be grown in the Ord region under a special exemption were also dealt a blow after Mr Chance was handed a petition yesterday with 10,000 signatures from a Japanese delegation calling for the moratorium to remain on GM crops.