Australia's first genetically-modified bananas will be planted in Far North
Queensland, following approval from the Office of the Gene Technology
Regulator.
Two trial crops will be planted near Innisfail by the Queensland University
of Technology; one with nutrient-enhanced bananas and the other with
disease-resistant Cavendish bananas.

And although you can't yet eat them, QUT Professor James Dale says the
trials are the next step in the path to commercial production.

"I think it's a very, very important occasion. Bananas are extremely
difficult to breed conventionally," he says.

"Genetic modification offers the opportunity to improve bananas and we know
they've got a huge number of problems, particularly diseases.

"This kind of technology offers the opportunity to improve bananas
significantly."

www.checkbiotech.org