GM details sketchy

OPPOSITION Agriculture spokesman Mick Murray has renewed calls for the Department of Agriculture and Food to identify farmers growing genetically modified canola after revealing this week how many Avon Valley farmers were growing the crop.

In Northam, seven growers are farming 1158ha of GM canola between them, while 13 farmers in York are growing 3230ha.

In Toodyay, seven growers are farming 1157ha.

GM canola growers in Toodyay and York represent 1 to 5 per cent of all growers, while less than 1 per cent of growers in Northam have planted GM canola.

Mr Murray said he was disappointed about the generalised information and maps available online and feared that failure to release specific GM grower locations could lead to contamination of neighbouring properties.

“It is pointless if you don’t know if the neighbours are GM-free,” he said. “A colour on a map means really nothing.”
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More info and maps available on the website of the Department of Agriculture and Food