Press Release

West Australian grain growers have criticised South Australian Tourism Minister Leon Bignell for calling seed manufacturers Monsanto and Bayer “poison peddlers’ in an attempt to justify the South Australian Government’s decision to maintain the current moratorium on GM crops.

“It is obvious that the SA Tourism Minister has a reckless disregard for the future of agriculture in South Australia, but what is even more astounding is that the South Australian Government continues to base their GM policy straight from the anti gm activist play book,” PGA Western Grain Growers Chairman John Snooke said today.

“Forcing growers in South Australia to farm with one arm behind their backs by continuing to ban GM canola when other states like WA, NSW and Victoria have readily accepted it shows that the South Australian Labor Party is only concerned with playing politics on what is a non-issue with the rest of the nation, if not the rest of the world.”

“If the South Australian Government took the time to do their research they would find that, especially in Western Australia, GM canola is being rapidly accepted as a normal part of modern cropping programs because it is simple, safe and makes farmers more money.”

“Our overseas markets are demanding GM canola, which has become one of our most highly valued commodities and claims that there is a major price difference between GM and non-GM is negligible, to say the least.”

”One might excuse the Tourism Minister’s thoughtless and irresponsible comments on this issue as mere ignorance of agriculture, but one would think that he would be championing the growing of GM Canola as it produces a brighter, more colourful flower which would add to the visual amenity of the South Australian wheat belt and boost tourism numbers in the winter and spring months, which has been the case here in WA.”

“GM canola is a win- win for tourists and farmers alike.”