GMW: Farmers protest at Bayer headquarters

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GMW: Farmers protest at Bayer headquarters

" GM WATCH " <info

Tue, 6 Sep 2005 09:10:48 +0100

 

 

 

 

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http://www.gmwatch.org

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1.Remove your unwanted genes Bayer Cropscience

2.Govt pressured to identify GM-tainted canola

 

EXCERPT: " We can't have contamination and expect the non-GM farmer to

pick up the cost of it because there'll be reduced opportunities for the

sale of our grain. " (item 2)

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1.Remove your unwanted genes Bayer Cropscience

For immediate release, 06 September 2005

 

A delegation of farmers from the Network of Concerned Farmers (NCF)

protested at Bayer Cropscience headquarters in Melbourne today. Farmers

delivered samples of canola to be tested and asked Bayer Cropscience to

" remove their trespassing genes " from their properties. (Letter Ref 5)

 

" The industry can not just ignore contamination until after we deliver

our harvest and farmers can't accept any contamination if we are to be

liable for the economic loss or additional costs caused by it, "

insisted Geoffrey Carracher, NCF spokesperson and Victorian farmer from

Minimay.

 

" It's a moratorium and it is Bayer Cropscience's responsibility to

recall their unwanted GM product just as it would be our job to

collect our

sheep if they wandered on the road or on to another farmers property. "

 

Since the contamination scandal was announced in several states, an

industry task force has been established to routinely test seed samples

and the protocol adopted involves growing the samples and spraying it

with the chemicals the GM crop is resistant to. Only GM crops would

survive and further testing would be done on positive results. The

testing

procedure would take at least 8 weeks. (Ref 4)

 

Farmers need to know if we have contamination as we will be signing to

guarantee there is no contamination in our seed when we deliver it. We

can't wait a few months for a test and Bayer Cropscience were meant to

have a better test than that. "

 

The Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) imposed a condition

of license on Bayer Cropscience to provide a testing methodology that

is able to reliably detect the presence of each of the GMOs or their

genetic material. The NCF contacted the regulators office but were told

that the testing information was " commercial in confidence. " (Ref 2)

 

" It is commercial incompetence not to have an accurate field test when

these varieties were planned to be released and coexist with non-GM

varieties. How can we tell if we have contamination when there is no test

available for it? " asked Mr Carracher.

 

" In order to deflect the blame to seed imports, Bayer Cropscience

reported on the ABC yesterday that the variety Topas 19/2 was only

grown in

Tasmania but the OGTR site reveals this variety was included in trials

in all the states that have reported contamination. " (Ref 3)

 

" We don't believe Bayer Cropscience has complied with their license

conditions and the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator should

withdraw

their license until they do. "

 

The NCF are urging farmers to forward samples to Bayer Cropscience in

order to assist any future legal action that may be taken against the

company if economic loss has occurred.

 

" Bayer Cropscience refused to have the samples tested and refused to

sign the letter of receipt, " reported Mr Carracher.

 

Contact: Geoffrey Carracher 0428 316901

or Jessica Harrison 0407307231

 

1. Photos will be posted as soon as available.

2. OGTR condition of license: Under Section 15 of the Conditions of

license imposed by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator on Bayer

CropScience Pty Ltd for the Commercial release of InVigor®

canola(Brassica napus) for use in the Australian cropping system DIR

021/2002

released 25th July 2003: http://www.ogtr.gov.au/rtf/gmorec/dir021lic.rtf

 

The licence holder must provide a written instrument to the Regulator

describing an experimental method that is capable of reliably detecting

the presence of the GMOs covered by this licence and any transferred

genetically modified material that might be present in a recipient

organism. The instrument must be provided within 30 days of & nbsp;this

licence being issued. " <BR><BR> " Specific condition 1 requires the licence

holder to provide a testing methodology to the Regulator that is

capable of

reliably detecting the presence of the GMO. "

 

3. Comment re Topas 19/2 trials: See ABC Country Hour " Reference:

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/vic/today.htm ; " Samples of the genetically

modified canola known as Topas 19/2 have been found in all three

states; a variety that has only been trialed once, back in 1998 in

Tasmania. "

.... " In that interview Ms O'Neill told us the GM variety Topas 19/2 had

been grown in trials at Horsham in 1997. So when we heard the variety

was grown in trials in Tasmania, we contacted Bayer for some

clarification. Ms O'Neill informed us " subsequent investigations by Bayer

Cropscience have revealed that the variety Topas 19/2 was not grown in

trials

in Horsham, or indeed anywhere in mainland Australia. " Bayer have

confirmed the variety was trialled in Tasmania, but was not able to say

exactly where. "

 

http://www.ogtr.gov.au/rtf/ir/dir021finalrarmpsum2.rtf

" Under the former voluntary system overseen by the Genetic Manipulation

Advisory Committee (GMAC), Bayer (formerly AgrEvo, Aventis CropScience)

conducted 14 field trials (PR62, PR63 and extensions) with all seven GM

canola lines in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania,

South & nbsp;Australia and Western Australia.

 

In addition, the Regulator issued a licence on 30 July 2002 to Bayer

(DIR010/2002) to conduct a limited and controlled release of the same GM

canola lines at 30 trial sites, totalling 106 hectares, in New South

Wales, Victoria and South Australia for the summer and winter growing

seasons in the three years from 2002-03. "

 

4. Australian Oilseeds Federation testing protocol:

http://www.non-gm-farmers.com/news_details.asp?ID=2394

 

5. Letter delivered to Bayer Cropscience:

available at http://www.non-gm-farmers.com/news_details.asp?ID=2392

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2.Govt pressured to identify GM-tainted canola

ABC, September 6, 2005.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200509/s1454268.htm

 

A new case of pure canola seeds being contaminated by genetically

modified (GM) varieties is putting pressure on the Victorian

Government to

find the source of the contaminations.

 

Incidents have occurred in Victoria and Western Australia, and last

week in South Australia.

 

The Network of Concerned Farmers' Wimmera spokesman, Geoffrey

Carracher, says the State Government should hurry up their investigations.

He says a " contamination exit strategy " must be developed.

 

" You clean up and if you can find the seed that's caused it, to spray

that out now so that it doesn't contaminate this year's crop, and so

that we get back to our GE [genetic engineering]-free status, " he said.

 

" We can't have contamination and expect the non-GM farmer to pick up

the cost of it because there'll be reduced opportunities for the sale of

our grain. "

 

 

 

 

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