GM NEWS

I always listen to The Country Hour on AM 639 from 12.00 to 1.00pm and I was so pleased to just hear the announcement by the minister for agriculture, Rory McEwen, that South Australia is to remain GM free, for at least another 2 years.

The only GM crop applicable to SA to grow at present would be canola and so the benefits would only be to a handful of growers. Whereas the detrimental effects of removing our GM-free status would affect many growers in many industries - such as beef exporters whose markets require no GM pasture, wine markets which also have niche, GM-free markets as well as the general perception of SA as clean and green.

Evidently Foodland SA has also declared their homebrand will be GM free as customers have indicated they will not buy GM products.

So, governments can make good decisions, if under enough pressure from the "right" sources.