The state government has signalled the possibility of lifting its ban on genetically modified cotton crops, which could lead to major investments in a new cotton industry in the Ord River irrigation area.
The state government has signalled the possibility of lifting its ban on genetically modified cotton crops, which could lead to major investments in a new cotton industry in the Ord River irrigation area.
Agriculture and Food Minister Kim Chance released a discussion paper into the potential for GM cotton production in the Ord, which is currently reliant on commercially-marginal sugar farms.
A statement from Mr Chance said GM cotton has been growing in trial plots in the Ord for more than 10 years without any significant problems and yields have been encouraging.
Industry groups believe GM cotton is the crop that could underpin the long-delayed development of the second stage of the Ord.
State development minister Eric Ripper disappointed the industry in June, when he said the government would commence a new expressions of interest process for Ord stage 2.
The report released today detailed the benefits of GM cotton in reducing pesticide and herbicide use, increasing yields and making Australian cotton farmers more globally competitive.
The report comes almost a year after the formation of the Ministerial GMO Industry Reference Group, which was tasked with identifying the main issues associated with the production of GM crops in WA.
While Queensland and New South Wales have allowed the production of GM cotton for more than 10 years, WA's GM moratorium covers both food and fibre crops.
The report claims that previous attempts to grow cotton in the ORIA during the 1960s and 1970s failed due to high pest pressure, which saw large quantities of DDT and other insecticides applied to control cotton bollworm, the major pest in the ORIA.
Planting GM cotton, which has been inserted with a naturally-occurring soil bacterium that controls cotton pests, would avoid the need to use insecticide to control the two most common cotton pests.
However, insecticides must still be used to control other pests.
The report also suggests GM cotton could be grow in rotation with other crops in the ORIA, such as sugar cane, preventing the build-up of soil pests and diseases.
While the Western Australian Farmers Federation and several biotech groups have endorsed the discussion paper, other groups have expressed apprehensions, challenging some of the assumptions made in the report and accusing it of overstating the benefits.
Non-GM campaigner Julie Newman of the Network of Concerned Farmers said that while the GM traits conferred the benefits of weed and insect control, other benefits, such as increased water use efficiency, yields and quality, are due to the non-GM varieties the GM trait is added to and not the GM trait itself.
The full text of a ministerial announcement is pasted below
Agriculture and Food Minister Kim Chance today released a report for public comment, examining the potential for genetically modified (GM) cotton production in the Ord River Irrigation Area.
The report was prepared by the Ministerial GM Industry Reference Group, and feedback is sought from stakeholders about future production of GM cotton in the Ord River Irrigation Area.
The reference group was established in 2005 to identify logistical, agronomic, marketing and other issues relating to the use of biotechnology in agricultural crops in Western Australia.
The 'GM Cotton in the Ord River Irrigation Area' report is the first of a number of discussion papers being prepared by the reference group for public comment.
Mr Chance said the paper provided an overview of current and potential cotton production in Australia, as well as the status of global production of GM cotton and potential markets and prices.
"An analysis has also been completed on the potential opportunities for growing GM cotton in the Ord including water and chemical requirements, social impact and economic viability," he said.
"The discussion paper also outlines on-farm management issues and environmental and health considerations."
GM cotton has been growing in trial plots in the ORIA for more than 10 years without any significant problems and yields have been encouraging.
There is currently a moratorium on the commercial production of GM crops in WA and the State Government is seeking feedback from the community on allowing GM cotton in the ORIA.
The public comment period will be open for four weeks from today until August 31, 2007.
Copies of the report are available by calling Richard Williams from the Department of Agriculture and Food on (08) 9368 3675.
