THE nation's biggest grain producing state, Western Australia has joined its eastern neighbours in giving growers the right to grow genetically modified canola crops.
WA Premier Colin Barnett said giving farmers access to GM canola fulfilled a key election promise to allow planting of GM cotton in the Ord Irrigation Scheme and the approval of commercial-size trials of canola.
This decision brings Western Australia in line with the other major grain-growing states, NSW and Victoria, where growers have been able to grow GM canola commercially since 2008, Mr Barnett said.
WA Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman said commercial trials in WA last year demonstrated successful cultivation and segregation of GM canola.
The 17 commercial growers of GM canola throughout the agricultural areas were impressed with the performance of the GM technology package when compared with other varieties of canola, he said.
More than 1200 tonnes of GM canola were delivered to designated CBH Group receival sites during the trial.
"I do not expect GM canola to be suitable for all farming systems but it provides an additional tool for WA growers,'' Mr Redman said.
Western Australia is the major canola producing state in Australia and in 2008-09 it exported $535 million worth of canola to the Netherlands, France, Pakistan, Japan and Belgium.
Mr Redman said the WA Department of Agriculture and Food had produced a report on the 2009 GM canola trials and this would be made available to the public.
He said the WA department would also provide information on growing and segregating GM and non-GM canola.
WA farmer and National Convenor of the grassroots farm body, the Producers Forum, Rod Birch said the WA Government's decision was momentus as it put the state's grain sector back up on the top of the list of efficient, competitive and sustainable agricultural producers.
"This is logical, progressive policy,'' Mr Birch said.
"WA farmers need this globally proven and endorsed technology. We cannot afford to be shackled to the past.
"Our key competitors in Canada have had GM canola for 14 years and our colleagues in Victoria and NSW have now had it for two years.
The WA CBH grain co-operative is yet to decide whether it will segregate GM and conventional canola.
CBH senior supply chain manager Matthew Mews said the decision on segregation was up to the Grains Industry Association of WA, who administer the standards.
"There's only a couple of very small domestic crushers in WA,'' Mr Mews said.
"There was nearly a million tonnes into CBH storages this year and most of that will go to export.''
"I think it comes down to growers and the market. We saw in the Eastern states there was not a lot of price differential between GM and non-GM.''
"The growers want to have access to it, but it's just another tool in the toolbox instead of a wholesale change.
"In the last few years we haven't sent any grain to the eastern states.
"The greater Asian market is our biggest canola market but during the past year we've sent canola all around the world.''
