More GM canola contamination confirmed
14 March 2011Bob Mackley, grain farmer at Duchembegarra, Western Victoria, has confirmed GM canola contamination on his GM-free farm.
Bob was pleased when four inches of rain dumped on his property on the night of Jan 12th. But he was dismayed when he later found that the floods had washed GM canola from his neighbour's paddocks onto his property.
"The canola had been lying in a paddock just over the fence, windrowed and waiting for harvest," says Bob Mackley. "All the assurances that GM canola would be segregated from GM-free farms and supply chains defied the reality of biological systems.
"I'm not really surprised that GM canola didn't respect my boundary and came right through in the flood and is still lying in heaps around my land.
"I used test strips which confirm it is GM canola, and I've now checked with my neighbour that he grew GM. I have no intention of ever growing GM canola but now it's all over my land and has probably spread to other landowners in our area as well.
“Now I'd like my neighbour and the people who sold him the GM seed to come and remove every seed from my property as it is already starting to germinate.
"I'm not able to sell my canola as GM free and with premiums of up to $50/tonne being paid now I'm likely to lose a lot of money.
"This should not cost me and without Farmer Protection laws I don't know how to recover my losses and extra costs. If my sheep got out and caused damage I'd have to take responsibility.
"As Monsanto owns the GM patent and seed perhaps I can charge them agistment. Better still, they could clean it up and cover my losses.
"I want to know where I stand and I want it in writing that I am not liable for this patented seed trespassing on my land.
"Despite ads on TV and radio in the Wimmera, I've heard GM seed sales have been slow this season.
"A lot of farmers reckon GM canola seed is expensive and not worth the trouble. There was also the problem last season of sprouted GM canola being hard to sell.
"GM isn't a solution, it's just another problem, and a big one," Bob Mackley concludes."