Australian Office of the Gene Technology Regulator stops the clock on GM canola decision

June 17, 2003

Source: ABC News via Life Sciences Network

There's been another delay in making a decision to commercially release GM canola.

The Gene Technology Regulator, Dr Sue Meek, says she's stopped the clock for a month on Bayer's application to grow genetically modified canola, to review new information raised in public submissions.

Bayer's, Susie O'Neill says the company is disappointed by the delay, but wasn't planning to commercially release GM canola this year anyway.

She says trials of the Invigor canola will continue, and any commercial release will be phased in slowly from next year. "We plan for a responsible, slow and careful introduction of Invigor over the next few years. The states are all at different stages in terms of commercialisation and/or moratorium on plantings so there's different potential start dates in different states."

Meanwhile the forecasts for conventional canola production are tumbling again.

The biggest canola producer, New South Wales, is now expecting only a quarter of its record planting of three years ago, with some 210,000 hectares now in the ground.

Don McCaffery from New South Wales Agriculture says the other challenge is a lack of rain. "The main canola producing areas, from Parkes through to Cowra, down to Wagga, are severely lacking rainfall. They're still in drought and are basically there is limited, or no sub-soil moisture under most of those crops even though much of it has been sown."


OGTR news release
13 June 2003

Update on genetically modified (GM) canola

In early April 2003 the Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan for the Bayer GM canola commercial release application (DIR21) was released for public comment. The period of consultation closed on Monday 26 May.

The application 'clock' has now been stopped on the Bayer GM canola application (DIR21) to enable the thorough examination of all relevant procedural issues. It is anticipated that the clock will be stopped for approximately one month.

Meanwhile, the application 'clock' is still stopped on the Monsanto GM canola commercial release application (DIR20) until further advice on evaluation of herbicide use is received. When this independent advice is provided, the Gene Technology Regulator will be able to release the Risk Assessment and Risk Management Plan for DIR20 for public consultation.

Announcements have been made recently by the New South Wales, Victorian and Western Australian Governments on the introduction of moratoria for GM crops in their respective States. The purpose of these moratoria is to allow more time for marketing and trade implications (which are outside the scope of the Gene Technology Regulator's evaluations) to be assessed. The details of the moratoria are being finalised and South Australia is also considering its position. All of these States have advised that commercial scale GM canola releases will not be allowed to take place in their States this year, even if approved on human health and safety and environmental grounds by the Gene Technology Regulator. However, these States have agreed to limited field trials, previously approved by the Regulator, continuing under strictly controlled conditions in 2003.

Source: ABC News via Life Sciences Network
OGTR
6037
 

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