Gene Technology Bill: Impact on Winegrowers and New Zealand Winegrowers' Response
Genetic modification has long been a topic of hot debate.
The NSW Government has announced that a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) food crops will be lifted in the state from 1 July 2021, ending an 18-year ban.
The lifting of the ban on genetically modified crops will have immediate application for canola.
Director of the Sydney Institute of Agriculture, Professor Alex McBratney, said there are pros and cons to the decision to lift the ban on GM crops in NSW, which will align now with the rest of Australia.
“If we use genetic technology to improve the nutritional profile of crops, such as vitamin levels in rice, or by making crops more water-efficient, that will be a definite positive. We’ve already seen a dramatic drop in insecticide use in GM cotton grown in Australia.
“However, crops modified to be ‘Round-Up ready’ can encourage overuse of herbicides when we should be looking at alternatives, such as camera spraying and other precision agriculture methods.”
McBratney says it is important to remember that the only commercialisation of GM crops has been for canola and cotton.
“Genetically modified wheat hasn’t been commercialised anywhere in the world so far, so that offers a big challenge for our researchers.”
He says there are some markets, largely in Europe, that don’t want GM products – so it will be important to label GM products appropriately.
Meanwhile, Sydney Institute of Agriculture’s dean of science and soil scientist Professor Iain Young says the lifting of the moratorium on GM crops offers a host of opportunities, at a time when we have to secure our food production. “The lessons from Europe show us we must be proactive in dealing with public concerns and potential misconceptions.”
Managing director of Woolover Ltd, David Brown, has put a lot of effort into verifying what seems intuitive, that keeping newborn stock's core temperature stable pays dividends by helping them realise their full genetic potential.
Within the next 10 years, New Zealand agriculture will need to manage its largest-ever intergenerational transfer of wealth, conservatively valued at $150 billion in farming assets.
Boutique Waikato cheese producer Meyer Cheese is investing in a new $3.5 million facility, designed to boost capacity and enhance the company's sustainability credentials.
OPINION: The Government's decision to rule out changes to Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) that would cost every farmer thousands of dollars annually, is sensible.
Compensation assistance for farmers impacted by Mycoplama bovis is being wound up.
Selecting the reverse gear quicker than a lovestruck boyfriend who has met the in-laws for the first time, the Coalition Government has confirmed that the proposal to amend Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) charged against farm utes has been canned.
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