www.checkbiotech.org ; www.raupp.info ; www.czu.cz

The Federal Government is increasing pressure on the WA Government to drop
its ban on GM crops after a new report found international markets are not
paying higher prices for traditional canola products, March 2007 by Shane
Wright.

Federal Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran said the State ban was holding
back WA farmers as they tried to compete against growers in the US and
Canada.

It follows the decision by the WA Farmers Federation, as revealed
exclusively in The West Australian yesterday, to drop its opposition to GM
crops.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics report
considered whether exporters of GM canola had found themselves disadvantaged
on international markets.

Opponents of GM crops have claimed that traditional canola crops can get a
premium price, while bans on GM canola keeps it out of important markets
such as Europe.

But the bureau found exports of GM crops, such as canola and soybeans,
expanding greatly.

It also found no evidence that traditional crops were getting higher prices
than their GM counterparts.

?The marketers of GM canola and of products based on livestock fed on GM
materials, including GM canola, do not appear to be disadvantaged in the
Australian and world market,? it found.

Mr McGauran said the ABARE report was further proof of the advantages of GM
crops and that Australia was being held back by the various moratoriums on
them put in place by State governments.

But State Agriculture Minister Kim Chance said he believed the ABARE report
showed there were clear market advantages for non-GM grains. Mr Chance said
he would refer the report to the GM reference group which is to make
recommendations to the Government on the future of the GM crop ban.

[www.thewest.com.au]