Press Release

An upward revision of Canada’s Canola stocks has revealed an extra 1.8million tonnes of GM canola – resulting from yield increases due to GM technology– and is contributing to a global drop in canola prices, creating new problems for West Australian growers.

PGA Western Graingrowers Chairman Leon Bradley said the extra 1.8million tonnes of GM canola produced in Canada dwarfed Australia’s current total record canola harvest of 1.4million tonnes.

“Because of the higher yields and reduced costs, our Canadian competitors have been able to produce this extra 1.8million tonnes of GM canola at very low cost.  Their grain is therefore competitive at lower prices, whereas the margins of WA growers are now at critical levels.”

“Growers in NSW and Victoria have benefited from the lifting of GM bans and are now positioned to be able to make up the leeway with Canada, but WA continues to lag behind – thanks to WA’s decade-long GM ban imposed by the previous Agriculture Minister, Kim Chance.”

“Agriculture Minister Terry Redman’s recent lifting of the ban on GM cotton was a tremendous boost to the cotton industry.  With the future of the WA canola industry on the line, we need the same action to be made by the Minister to ensure that WA growers can compete on the world market.

Mr Bradley noted that even the European Union, which originally used opposition to GM technology as a trade barrier, is reshaping its position - last week approving the importation of GM soybean varieties for both human consumption and stock feed.

“Despite ongoing claims to the contrary by Greenpeace and other anti-GM activists, the European Food Safety Authority has now declared Round –up Ready 2 Yield Soybeans as safe to import for both food and feed.”

“Such actions by the European Union as well as other countries like Japan in approving large imports of GM products, further illuminates the false global propaganda war being waged by anti GM technology groups - a war where the only casualty is the WA canola grower.