THE NSW Farmers’ Association has declared it will call on State and Federal governments to protect non-genetically modified (GM) canola growers from the financial risks of GM production on a commercial scale. The association’s delegates carried a motion at their annual conference in Sydney yesterday that will see the farming lobby pressure governments to provide financial safeguards for farmers who choose not to use GM canola seeds.
The conference’s second day was dominated by debate over the costs, marketability and safety of GM crops, and the motion - which effectively supports the interests of non-GM canola growers - was won by a very narrow margin.