MEMBER SERVICE CENTRE P 1300 794 000 E emailus@ nswfarmers.org.au farmers say “Yes” to GM crops NSW Farmers’ Association has voted to support the commercial release of Genetically Modified (GM) crops following a vote at the Annual Conference in Sydney. Chairman of the NSW Farmers’ Association Grains Committee, Angus McLaren says the vote demonstrates that farmers in NSW want the State Go-vernment moratorium lifted immediately. “Members at Annual Conference believe the benefits of GM crops outweigh the marketing risks and want the ability to adopt the technology,” Mr McLaren said. “GM crops increases grower profitability through significantly less herbicide use,” Mr McLaren said. “This is the first time this organisation has supported the move for the commercial release of GM crops since the debate started. “The technology has been rapidly embraced in major grain and oilseed exporting countries in the United States, Argentina and Canada, accounting for 85 percent of all GM production in 2004,” Mr McLaren said. The NSW Farmers’ Association also voted to lobby the Primary Industries Ministerial Council (PIMC) to set adventitious presence levels for all crops rather than for just canola as is currently the case. Farmers also want practical, objective and inexpensive “on-farm” GM detection tests as well as an education program in conjunction with lifting the moratorium. “Lifting the moratorium will put NSW farmers on a level playing field with some of our biggest international competitors,” Mr McLaren concluded. The Association will be pursuing the GM issue with Minister for Primary Industries Ian Macdonald. At this stage, the moratorium is set to expire in 2008. Contact: Joanne Maloney (Media Officer) 02 8251 1860 - w / 0429 990 218 Contact: Amanda Frame (Media Manager) 0428 400 736 “Together we’re a force to be reckoned with”
Money...that's all it is isn't it! All their considerations are money! And farmers want to be considered as responsible land owners....christ if you can't make a living out of 100+ acres you need to find another job!
Goes to show there are lots of stupid people everywhere. Before they decide to go GM, they should look what happened to US and Canadian farmers, who lost their export markets, had declines in production and ended up locked into purchasing seed as they could no longer save seed. Just Google Percy Schmeiser and see what it did to him, and he didn't even plant the stuff. And this happened in Canada, where the courts are similar to Australia. And then Google Rodney Nelson, if you want to be more pissed off. He got fucked, too.
Australia has always been five years behind Canada...with so many things. Think I'll send those links to family and friends....people really do need to wake up.
Don't know if any of you have read a book called "Seeds of Deception" about the GM industry :twisted: and potential dangers. It was quite horrifying. Perhaps it should be mandatory reading for farmers.
The Soil Association (UK) did an an excellent book called "Seeds of Doubt", whhich any farmer considering trying GM seed should read. It is the experience of Canadian and American farmers with GM. Percy Schmeiser and Rodney Nelson are both featured and show how evil and heavy handed Monsanto is/was with dealing with them. How stupid that anyone would want to repeat the mistakes made in the US.