GM Issues
Review of Information Forums on GM crops in WA
By Bill Crabtree
Three GM information sessions were held in WA on the 4th, 5th and 6th of March at Dalwallinu, Corrigin and Dongara. At all three events Mr Scott Day from Canada was the keynote speaker on the “Impact of GM canola on Canadian Prairie Farming”.
What has GM canola done in Canada for weed control and profit?
Over 90% of canola presently grown in western Canada is resistant to glyphosate, glufosinate, or imidazolinone herbicides, with cultivars resistant to glyphosate dominating the market...
Bt corn reduces serious birth defects
Oct 27, 2004 9:12 AM, By Bruce Chassy and Drew Kershen
Market premiums - where are they now Kim?
Mr Chance has said that he is protecting WA farmers against canola price losses by keeping our state going GM free. He has claimed price premiums for us being non-GM. This is simply not true and never has been. See the evidence for yourself ...
Some Ethics and facts are needed in GM views
My advice to Bob Phelps and those who think like him (Debb Schmetzer, Helen Wallace, Rebecca Harrison, Samantha Dunn, Peter Hill, Wendy Radford, C Moore, Leslie Dalzeil, J Harrison and Jennifer Chadwick) is that they visit some GM crops and talk to farmers who grow GM crops before they encourage more fear with GM crops.
Little learnt from world class scientist
Dear Sir, I feel for the world class and respected scientist Dr John O’Donovan who was the keynote speaker at the Crop Updates recently. The Farm Weekly reporter seemed to have missed the important points that John was raising and converted his speech into a “snigger”.
Kimberly Echo – Letter to the Editor
Dear Sir, Minister Chance yet again misleads WA agriculture with his attack on Barry Haase on 22nd Feb (Kimberly Echo).
Bob should visit average Canadian farmer
GM canola in Canada is not being stockpiled (page 14 Weekly Times 17th Jan). But, yes, they do have a lot of it. Why would that be? It is because Canadian farmers have a choice, and they chose to grown 85% GM canola.
Kim Chance misleads WA agriculture through Hansard
Chance has lost the plot
Chance deliberately stalls
Leading agricultural consultant Bill Crabtree has accused state Agriculture Minister Kim Chance of deliberately sabotaging the productivity of WA farmers.
Chance misleads agriculture
For three years, since 2004, WA farmers could have been growing GM canola with yields 20-40% more than their current triazine tolerant canolas. Through repeated mis-information to state parliament, and through the media, the Minister for Agriculture Honourable Kim Chance has been telling porkies and deliberately slowing the desire for farmers to embrace modern GM technology…
Summary of comments from meeting with MLC Kim Chance
Minister requested scientific study references that are published in referred journals on large animals that have been fed GM food over the long-term. Bill to search…
Farmers need new technology
Farmers across southern Australia are suffering from the GM moratoria’s. It is disappointing that a network of confused people have caused unfounded fears with GMs which has stifled GM adoption for perhaps three years…
Notes from Kim Chance meeting
Alan referred to numerous studies showing the safety of GM products, including some UWA work with Basta resistant lupins. Alan said there were many studies that showed GM products to be safe. Alan said many of the foods we eat, and medicines we take, are now GM…
What GM crops have to offer
Farmers are regularly bombarded with anti-GM information which is mostly without foundation. GM acreage is increasing worldwide every year - by 20% last year (but not in WA). The reasons for this are; there is a 30% grain yield premium available with GM canola, GMs reduce pesticide use, GMs reduce poisoning of children and farmers, GMs are as safe as normal breeding - perhaps even safer, GMs give drought tolerance, GMs reduce herbicide resistance, GMs will not make you grow a tail, GM contamination is manageable at sensible levels, GMs attract no markets price penalty and GMs do not make you dependant on multi-nationals. We are missing out and falling behind!
Open Letter to Minister Chance - Time to Stop Stalling
I read with interest your comments in the West Australian today (11th August 2005). It seems to me that you have set your course on continuing to stall GM, without evidence, and with rhetoric that is false in essence. Please allow me to explain…
Consultant disputes GM crop claims
Julie Newman from the Network of Concerned Farmers was cited as saying there is growing international evidence that GM crops use more water than conventional varieties and may be unsuitable for Australia's drought conditions…
GMs are more drought tolerant
You may have heard that GM crops do not do well in droughts in Brazil, India, Canada and the US. Allow me to share my experiences and notes from friends that align with my first-hand observations…
How much more for non-GM?
Minister Kim Chance is right to point out that "it's hard to distinguish a price premium for non-GM crops". Because there is none. We have had 10 years now to try and obtain a price premium for non-GM, and we have failed…
The real concerns with GM
Most farmers seem to have two main concerns with GM canola. It might make Roundup resistance worse and I might be controlled by the chemical companies. So what has happened elsewhere in the world with these issues…
GM food - by Wayne Smith
People are allergic to “natural” foods like peanuts, wheat flour, lychees, etc…, and thousands of people die from them every year. Also, almost every food we eat has some “cancer causing” chemical in them, including apples and broccoli. Does that stop us eating them…
How much more anti-GM propaganda?
Yet again Julie Newman asserts nonsense (Countryman 12th May)! There is a 30% proven grain yield increase with GM canola, along with less pesticides, less stubble burning, less green house gases etc…
We don’t need GM crops - by Julie Newman
The letter, ‘We must give GM a chance’, by Bill Crabtree (Countryman 28th April) was what was expected after the recent GM industry-sponsored PR consultant meeting in Perth recently…
Sensible GM standards needed
Mr Engelke is obviously concerned about GM technology (Countryman 5th May 05). It would add useful depth to the debate if he could visit US, Canada and South America for himself…
Minister Chance feeds propaganda
Sadly our Agricultural Minister is not interested in good science. He would prefer to stay friends with the anti-GM movement who being "flat earth people"…
Being left behind - for sure!
Kim Chance's comment (Countryman 14th April) that if we went down the GM path that it would be irrecoverable is not true. His Agricultural Department's research work with the GM Basta (or Liberty) resistant lupins, about 10 years ago and all over the state, has not hurt us…
$68/ha better return with Liberty
In farmers interests, unpaid as I am in this action, I again refute the continuous mis-information about GM canola. Let’s be clear and complete with the agronomic facts…
Bill runs for Parliament - Independent for Roe
Aiding the adoption of GM technology for sustainable and prosperous agriculture, a “clean and green” agriculture that is less reliant on chemicals - less Atrazine use, progress and prosperity of the region with careful attention to our fragile environment, the belief that all people should be listened to before tough decisions are made, integrity and free will of the human spirit…
Weed control opportunities with GM canola
Australia’s agricultural profitability and sustainability is being threatened by weeds proliferating and becoming resistant to many different herbicide groups…
We Will Get Left Behind
I have just returned from a 10 days in Ukraine for their first International No-Tillage Conference for the CIS region. They have only just began no-tilling…
Minister for State Development
I am an agronomist based in Northam, WA with 20 years experience in crop agronomy. This includes a Department of Agriculture 12 months job exchange to Canada in 1996 where I made many life-long rural friends in leading edge agriculture…
Biotechnology Withheld by Our State
MLA Clive Brown reports on Friday 29/10/2004 in the West Australian on Page: 2 that "A thriving biotechnology industry is part of our vision for Western Australia…
GM Challenge Embraced
Through time, sound logic will prevail effectively dismantling the Network of Concerned Farmers (NCF) and their hype. The NCF has never genuinely pushed for both sides of the GM debate to come together…
$170 million annual loss for rejecting GE canola for WA!
Why has the innovative WA state been so easily bluffed into believing that Canadian farmers are fools for wholeheartedly embracing genetically engineered (GE or GM) canola?…
Minister for Agriculture, Forestry and Fisherises
Thank you for your letter (ecopy) on 28 July regarding GM canola with your explanation of reason why you are with-holding GM crops from us…
I’m Back!
Along with 43 other farmers and scientists, from all over southern Australia, I recently saw first-hand numerous GM crops in Canada and the United States…
GM Canola - Invaluable Tool With-Held
I am forever grateful to WANTFA and the Department of Agriculture for my 1996 job exchange to Canada. This visit gave me life-long friends whose opinions I hold very highly, many of whom I will re-visit in August 2004…
Wrong Strong Views!
To clear up the confusion over Australia non-GM and Canadian GM canola prices please see the following chart. During the last 5 years of rapid Canadian GM canola adoption their prices have averaged $US10/t more than ours…
Chance’s Lack of Understanding Leads Public Astray
Last week our Agricultural Minister, Kim Chance said on page 4 of the Farm Weekly “There is just so much opposition to GMs in cereals because people would actually consume DNA”…
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