Get Bayer's GM pollution out of my crop!

[Guest guest]

julie

Get Bayer's GM pollution out of my crop!

Thu, 6 Oct 2005 04:28:20 -0500

 

 

 

 

" Get Bayers GM pollution out of my crop " insists devastated non-GM

farmer

 

Network of Concerned Farmers (NCF) spokesperson, Geoffrey Carracher is

devastated to find his seed testing results confirmed a GM

contamination

level of 0.5% in the " Grace " variety of seed he planted his canola crop

with. Mr Carracher is insisting on compensation for any costs or market

loss he experiences from the offending GM patent owner, Bayer

Cropscience.

 

" I've done everything possible to protect my GM-free status but now I

am

faced with the nightmare of trying to find someone to harvest a $50,000

crop that I know is contaminated with Bayers GM product, that markets

are

rejecting, that can't be segregated and is against the law to sell. "

 

" Non-GM farmers will not accept any GM contamination if we are to be

liable for it. It's no point just accepting a contamination level

because

it does not comply with law or market demand and is too expensive to

test

for or segregate. GM contamination must be prevented. "

 

The Network of Concerned Farmers is not against someone having the

choice

to grow GM crops, but are against someone else's choice impacting

negatively on other farmers' incomes and livelihoods.

 

" Contamination is playing right into the hands of the GM companies who

are

desperate for farmers to lose our GM-free status. If our government

does

not prosecute these companies for causing economic loss to others, they

will have a free rein to destroy our markets. "

 

" I'm a non-GM farmer and I don't want to carry the liability. The

polluter

should pay, not the polluted and our government must support a strict

liability legislation. "

 

Earlier this year, Mr Carracher was so concerned about the market

rejection to GM crops, he wrote to Bayer Cropscience to test his crop

and

verify a GM-free status, but they refused. When purchasing his seed, he

asked his seed company to guarantee that his seed was not contaminated,

but they refused. Mr Carracher organised a delegation of farmers to

deliver seed samples to Bayer Cropscience headquarters in Melbourne,

but

Bayer Cropscience refused to cooperate. He finally accepted a generous

offer by Greenpeace to pay for the expensive testing of the seed he

sent

to the accredited AgriQuality laboratory in Melbourne. The test result

confirmed contamination at 0.5%. Mr Carracher equated to a risk of up

to

487,500 GM plants in his 60ha crop (300,000 canola seeds/kg sown at

5kg/ha).

 

" I now know I am contaminated and when delivering my crop, I will be

asked

to sign a guarantee that I am GM-free which indemnifies Graincorp from

litigation. Now I can't sign that declaration because I will be liable

for

all the losses caused along the whole supply chain. "

 

" I legally can't sell my canola as non-GM but will I be able to sell it

as

GM? How will I keep my crop from contaminating my neighbours crops?

Will

my contractors harvest my canola if it is known to be contaminated? If

I

can't harvest it, can't deliver it and can't graze it, I may have to

burn

it, but who will compensate me the $50,000 it is worth? "

 

Mr Carracher had purchased a Grace variety of canola seed, marketed by

Dovuro and developed by the Grains Research Development Council and

Agriculture Victoria. The seed was purchased at Naracoorte, South

Australia, raising the possibility of GM contamination of seed in South

Australia also.

 

" I call on the Victorian Government to test my paddock for verification

and help determine the extent of contamination across the state. They

must

take the urgent steps necessary to manage the risks as harvest will

start

next month, " said Mr Carracher.

 

" Australia's rural industry is worth over $12billion / year and this is

nothing short of industrial sabotage. "

 

- END –

 

Contact: Geoffrey Carracher 03 53866261

 

(If unavailable: Julie Newman 0427 711644 or 08 9871156)

 

Photos:

 

Geoffrey Carracher holding a bag of Grace seed in his canola paddock

(*here*)

 

" Bayer remove your genes " banner on the fence of Geoffrey Carrachers

contaminated paddock (*here*)

 

Geoffrey Carracher in the paddock of GM contaminated canola (*here*)

 

 

Photos can be accessed from our website: www.non-gm-farmers.com