Biotech Updates

Western Australia Lifts Moratorium on GM Cotton

November 21, 2008

The state government of Western Australia (WA) announced that it will lift the ban on the commercial production of genetically modified (GM) cotton in the East Kimberley region's Ord River Irrigation Area. Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman said that the decision was made following more than 10 years of GM cotton trials in the region. The GM cotton trials were supervised by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR), Department of Agriculture and Food and the Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization (CSIRO). The trial crops have been very successful, yielding almost 11.5 bales per hectare, Redman noted. The agriculture minister further said the trials have shown that there are no agronomic problems, including the control of insects, in growing GM cotton in the Ord. Importantly, there have been no environmental concerns with the crops.

Read the complete press statement at http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/WACabinetMinistersSearch.aspx?ItemId=130879&minister=Redman&admin=Barnett