HomeMedia Releases Australian grain growers missing out on $157 million annually - University of Melbourne report
Australian grain growers missing out on $157 million annually - University of Melbourne report
By Rebecca Scott,
The grains industry could produce an additional $157 million worth of canola and wheat each year if genetically modified (GM) canola is commercialised in Australia.
A report released today by The University of Melbourne shows that if GM canola is adopted on over half the current canola area there will be substantial economic and environmental benefits.
In the report, Dr Robert Norton and Professor Rick Roush from the Faculty of Land and Food Resources provide a summary of more than 20 recent reports on the impact of GM canola in Australia.
"Those reports show that the great bulk of GM canola is sold at similar prices to conventional canola in most major canola markets throughout the world" said Dr Norton.
"Australia is not realizing any price premium for producing non-GM canola and is missing out on significant agronomic and environmental benefits from growing non-GM canola varieties under Australian conditions".
Professor Roush said that Australia has now watched Canada grow commercial GM herbicide tolerant (HT) canola for more than 10 years.
"The use of GM HT canola has provided substantial benefits to growers and the environment in Canada where canola production has increased by 40% and average yields have increased by 27% since 1996. Over the same period, Australian yields have declined by 10%."
The report also updates the potential benefits to Australia using an adoption scenario published in 2003.With the changes in the grains industry since 2003, the report proposes that there are significant economic and environmental advantages from the new technology.
The key findings were:
An extra 225,000 hectares of canola could be grown using conservation farming practices
640 tonnes less triazine herbicide would be used each year
Average Australian canola yields would increase from 1.17t/ha to 1.28t/ha, with an increase in canola production estimated at 295,000 tonnes annually
Wheat production would increase by 64,000 tonnes on the additional canola area
"Over 100 million hectares of GM crops are produced in 22 countries each year. In 2003, the Australian Federal Regulator approved the use of two types of GM canola but growers have been denied the environmental and economic benefits of the new varieties," said Professor Roush
For more information contact
Rebecca Scott
Media Officer
University of Melbourne
Mobile: 0417 164 791
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