Currently, the commercial cultivation of canola licensed by the Regulator is permitted in Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland, but prohibited in South Australia and Tasmania. Despite its close proximity to the Victoria border, where GM canola cultivation is allowed, Grant District Council has objected to the release of GM canola in its area. ”Council’s policy in the past has been to support the trailing of GM crops, but not the commercial production,” Council’s chief executive officer Russell Peate said.

Grain group CBH says high prices for non-genetically modified canola look set to continue into next season. Non-GM canola is fetching up to $50 fifty per tonne, $30 to $40 more than its GM counterpart. CBH marketing director Tom Puddy says the trend comes down to European demand and it is likely to continue. ”We know that there is a current premium for it because there are consumers that demand that, so they’ll pay a premium at the supermarket shelf for the particular food items that are certified non-GM,” he said.

HE two farmers at the centre of Australia’s first reported case of alleged Genetically Modified canola ”contamination” have faced off at a public meeting captured in a video now posted on YouTube. [...] Mr Baxter, who has declined to speak to media on the issue throughout the past six months on advice from his lawyer, also questioned Mr Marsh.

”What gives the organic farmer the right to dictate what his neighbour grows?” Mr Baxter asked. ”Isn’t it already a case that the organic farmer has lost his livelihood – so how can that be an argument?” Mr Marsh replied.

CropLife Australia chief executive, Matthew Cossey, whose organisation represents the Australian agricultural chemical and biotechnology sector, said GMs were already subject to rigorous scientific analysis, by local regulatory authorities and internationally. [...] ”I believe senator that if you look at all the agreed evidence, that in fact any generation of concern over approved GM in food products is driven by a non-scientific, fact-free, alarmist and scaremongering section of the community,” he said. ”I believe it is a minority and I’m not too sure that it serves the public good or a public policy good, particularly considering the broader importance of food labelling.”

[Plant geneticist and Director of the Institute of Health and Environmental Research, Phil Davies] has warned that releasing another strain of genetically modified [omega 3] canola poses too many risks to make it worthwhile. [...] ”The genes don’t stay in one variety. They’re very easily transferred from one paddock to another, so you end up with all sorts of problems in mixed seed at the silo.”

A WIMMERA farmer whose paddocks have been infested by genetically modified canola washed down by the December floods says the spread of large chunks of GM seed highlights the inadequacy of Australia’s co-existence policy between GM and non-GM canola. [...] ”The canola was transported in the first floods, then when we got the rain in January, it germinated quite a substantial amount. ”I’d say it could easily be more than the prescribed levels of 0.9pc GM material.”

A QUEENSLAND maize breeding program is producing adapted, high yielding lines to enhance export opportunities into non-GMO Asian maize markets. [...] The commercial goal is to produce more reliable maize hybrids that will encourage farmers to plant maize and boost the volume of sales into an assured export market.

In response to questions by WA Opposition agriculture spokesman Mick Murray in State Parliament last week, Mr Barnett said during a recent trip to Japan he told flour millers there would be no GM wheat from WA. [...] This seemingly flew in the face of Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman’s big push for GM research with nine million dollars allocated in the 2010-11 State Budget for new GM research facilities at Merredin and Katanning.

SOME of Australia’s most iconic foods, including Vegemite Snackabouts, Caramello Koalas, and Coon cheese have been named in a Greenpeace shopping guide as potentially containing genetically modified ingredients. [...] Foods from breakfast cereal, milk and baby food to lollies, bread and cheese, are marked red if they contain GE-derived ingredients or if the manufacturers don’t have a policy on modified components.

Commercial production of genetically modified wheat appears to be off the table for WA growers, after Premier Colin Barnett refused to back it. Mr Barnett told Parliament on Tuesday he supported GM canola and cotton, but not GM wheat. [...] Following a visit to Japan earlier this month, Mr Barnett said: ”We are not contemplating GM wheat and I did note Japanese consumers would not support GM wheat.”