SA farmers hamstrung by ‘idiots in town’, GM-crop growers claim
There is a wealth of opportunities for South Aussies to cash in on genetically-modified crops, safflower farmers Wayne Hawkins claims. But the “idiots” in Adelaide are holding them back.
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Wayne Hawkins sees a plethora of opportunity on one side of his property, while on the other side, he believes he’s been hamstrung by “idiots in town”.
His Frances property straddles the South Australian/Victorian border, about 50km southeast of Bordertown.
On the Victorian side, he’s in his first year of growing genetically-modified safflower but on the other, GM crops are banned.
“If I wanted to grow that in South Australia just over the border here, I’d go to jail probably,” Mr Hawkins says.
The Government’s plan to lift SA’s ban on growing GM crops fell over this week, as Labor and SA Best backed a Greens bid to reject the move.
They were concerned the Liberals were using a “loophole” to back out of a moratorium on growing GM varieties and should instead be pursuing legislation changes if the new crops were to be introduced in mainland SA.
“I just don’t understand those blokes in Adelaide. I don’t understand what they’re trying to prove,” Mr Hawkins says.
“I have neighbours over the fence where it’s just all GM canola – they love the stuff.”
His business, Circle H Farms, is growing the crop for seed to supply to a company called Go Resources, which wants to extract the oil for industrial uses and provide an alternative to the much-maligned palm oil market.
Oil palms are well documented as being an environmentally destructive crop associated with widespread deforestation and habitat loss in South East Asia.
Mr Hawkins will harvest his first GM safflower crop in February or March, saying the variety is growing “beautifully” on his property, which also features wheat, beans, clover and sunflowers, alongside grazing sheep.
He is trying to reduce chemical use and says a major benefit of GM crops is the reduced for herbicides and insecticides to control weeds and insects.
Mr Hawkins says lifting the GM moratorium in SA would have meant better opportunities to diversify and make more money.
“We’d love to have the choice. (But) we’re hamstrung by idiots.”
About 370km away, on a farm west of Kapunda, Mark Branson says he is “horrified” people are “playing politics” with farmers’ futures.
He had been hoping to trial Roundup Ready canola to help control weeds.
“To not even look at the issue and look at the politics of it is disgusting,” the Stockport man says.
CONTAMINATION A NIGHTMARE FOR ORGANIC STATUS
In the South-East, third-generation farmer Huck Shepherd is gunning for South Australia’s moratorium on GM crops to remain.
He receives a healthy price premium for his organic oats and linseed – but said a cross-contamination incident years ago illustrated the potential devastation caused if GM material spread to neighbouring properties.
Some canola made its way into his linseed crop at Kybybolite, near Naracoorte, and Mr Shepherd believes a truck carrying fertiliser to his farm was to blame. It was lucky it wasn’t GM canola because he wouldn’t have been able to sell his crop as organic.
“It would have been a blame game and a real nightmare for us,” Mr Shepherd said. “It’s cost me a lot of money to get it out over the years.”
The mistake could also have cost him his organic certification. Mr Shepherd said the price comparison between organic and non-organic crops could be stark, receiving $850 a tonne for organic oats, compared with $250 for conventional oats.
He is also concerned about a lack of information on how GM crops impact human health.
Over at Finniss, near Currency Creek, Nomad Farms owner Tom Bradman wants the Government to turn its attention towards marketing its GM-free status, instead of singling out Kangaroo Island.
He said his customers wanted poultry that was not fed GM-grain or antibiotics. “It’s pretty shortsighted to be lifting the ban,” Mr Bradman said. “Even if it does provide a marginal productivity benefit, it will cut off potential high-value markets.”
The feed for his chickens contains a combination of wheat, peas, lupins, soy and canola meal, and his business would need to ensure it was sourcing GM-free grain if the moratorium was lifted.
“I suspect it would put us in a challenging position,” he says.
Greens MLC Mark Parnell said lifting the moratorium risked Australia’s “clean and green reputation” and the opportunity to capitalise on lucrative GM-free markets.
“The number of SA farmers that want the option to grow GM canola to help manage their weeds is very small, compared to what is at stake for everyone else who doesn’t want it,” he said.
“The Greens have listened to our constituents … as well as farmers, scientists and representative organisations from both sides of the debate, and overwhelmingly they support retaining the moratorium on GM crops.”