News

Tasmania extends ban on GMOs

Grain Central, August 7, 2019

THE Tasmanian Government has extended its ban on the introduction of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) into the island state until 2029.

Tasmania introduced a moratorium on the release of GMOs in 2001 and has been conducting a review since December last year.

The State’s Agriculture Minister, Guy Barnett, announced the extension of the moratorium today.

The Tasmanian Farmers & Graziers Association (TFGA) has welcomed the decision to extend the GMO moratorium for another 10 years.

TFGA chief executive officer, Peter Skillern, said the state’s GMO-free status remained an important component of the Tasmanian brand and assured the state’s agricultural products had access to markets that prohibited GMO products.

“Many intentional markets such as the European Market demand GMO-free products, Tasmania is well placed to enhance and expand our footprint in these large lucrative markets with this announcement,” he said.

“The State Government and Minister Guy Barnett are to be commended for providing surety to the sector and recognising the benefits in maintaining the moratorium and at the same time committing to regular reviews of developments in this area.”

However, CropLife Australia, said the decision to extend the moratorium on GM crops went against all independent scientific evidence and was a lost opportunity for ensuring a more environmentally sustainable and profitable farming future.

“It is disappointing to see irrational beliefs and a narrow political agenda based on fear triumph over the weight of scientific and independent economic evidence,” CropLife Australia chief executive officer, Matthew Cossey, said.

“The Tasmanian Government has chosen to ignore more than 30 years of scientific evidence and instead followed misleading, misinformed and outright false activist positions.

“There is no indication of any agricultural products attracting a price premium simply because of a whole-of-state GM-free status as proven by the real-world examples in other states and indeed the world.”

Sources: TFGA, CropLife Australia

 

 

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Comments

  1. Nobody in their right mind would eat GM food if they have a choice. SA should never have allowed GM crops. It destroys biodiversity. GM food has destroyed Indian cotton farmers and Mexican corn farmers lives. Anyone who cares about people, animals and agriculture should protect the land from the destruction of everything GM.

  2. Janet Grogan, August 11, 2019

    Matthew Cossey conveniently ignores the price penalty GM canola has been experiencing since its introduction into WA nine years ago . This week’s penalty for GM varieties has spread to a massive $105 per tonne… How does the media allow these facts be ignored? While the price difference has exploded in WA there has still been a notable difference in both NSW and Victoria. Australia does not grow GM corn but our growers are enjoying up to $100 above GM prices. https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2015-03-18/australian-corn-maize-production-better-than-expected/6328468 Please call people out when making such baseless comments.

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