December 4, 2006

GM-corn slips into New Zealand

In the risk debate over GM crops, New Zealand's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) should identify the presence of GM, the type of GM construct and undertake a risk assessment before ripping up imported corn suspected of containing GM seeds, announced the chairman of the Life Sciences Network, Dr William Rolleston.

The announcement came in the light of a consignment of corn containing about 1,800 kilos, which tested negative for genetic modification. The same then made its way into New Zealand in October. A subsequent review showed one of the parent lines had tested positive for GM. Much of the seeds have already been planted.

MAF biosecurity spokesman, Peter Thomson, said the plants were still very young and it has not yet been decided whether to destroy the corn immediately, or let it grow for a little.

The organisation has now been considering ways to deal with crops already sown.

Meanwhile, Dr Rolleston clarified the presence of GM, if at all, was so low that it did not test positive. Therefore, it was unlikely that the seeds would yield GM-plants.

Most of money spent on destroying these crops and compensating the farmers would go waste if the GM constructs turns out to be one approved for human and animal use, he added. This money could instead be utilised for threats like that of foot-and-mouth disease.

GM crops were grown in New Zealand in the 1990s and the MAF has allowed other GM importations to grow to harvest. They should apply the same scientific rationale in this case, concluded Dr Rolleston.