Milling Journal - Q2 2008 - (Page 28) Aussies Lift GM Wheat Test Ban Two Australian states to field test GM wheat. After six years of a continuous drought, the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales have lifted a ban on the test-planting of genetically modified (GM) wheat. No country has yet approved biotech wheat production on a commercial scale. Australia will likely be the first to do so as the country seeks to rebuild its wheat stocks and regain its position in world markets. In November 2007, both states lifted a four-year moratorium on the production of GM canola for food use, making canola available for commercial production in the 2008 planting season. Now, field tests of GM wheat are being conducted in Victoria and New South Wales under the supervision of each state’s Department of Primary Industries. Bullish Report Genetically modified wheat and oilseed crops, if adopted, could provide significant benefits to Australian agriculture, according to a report released March 31 by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE). “The uptake of GM wheat and oilseeds could lead to a gain of $912 million in the Australian economy by 2018 relative to what would otherwise be the case,” said ABARE Executive Director Phillip Glyde during his release of the report. International crop genetics companies such as Monsanto and Syngenta, as well as Australia’s CropLife International, have spent a number of years genetically modifying wheat for traits such as herbicide and drought tolerance. Frank Zaworski, editor Response No. 281 28 Second Quarter 2008 MILLING JOURNAL http://www.chantland.com http://www.chantland.com
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