November 27, 2008
Australian oilseed industry says GM will improve sustainability
Australia's oilseed industry said GM oilseed varieties could break into the mainstream market with its world-class grain production, handling, transport and processing protocols and procedures.
Australian Oilseeds Federation (AOF) president, Robert Green said that, adding that the technology is vital for the oilseed industry to remain competitive.
According to the AOF, GM crops have been grown, traded and consumed globally since 1996.
For more than a decade in Australia, cottonseed oil and meal has been used by our food and feed sectors, as has imported soymeal, soy oil and oilseed, much of it from GM varieties.
Mr Green said that GM oilseed is not in the news overseas. He said that in Canada, GM varieties account for over 85 percent of the oilseed crop, and it has been sought, shipped and purchased for 12 years.
According to him, Canadian farmers will harvest a record 11.7 million tonnes of oilseed this year and their industry will keep growing.
