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agnet April 27/04
Labour MEP calls on Commission to approve GM corn
GM maize: EU ministers fail to agree on safety
UK bid to end GM moratorium thwarted
Venezuela to prohibit transgenic crops
High amount of alfalfa kill possible
Byrne welcomes Council support on establishing common maximum residue levels
Gene silencing licence boosts crop research
Biotech corn use may be growing in Illinois, group's spokesman says
Australia seizes Greenpeace ship over anti-GE protest
Worst locust threat in decade in Northwest Africa
85M boost for plum pox fight
Soybean shortage may increase prices of consumer products
Seed selection process grows complex, crucial for farm management
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Labour MEP calls on Commission to approve GM corn
April 27, 2004
European Parliamentary Labour Party
David Bowe MEP, Labour's environment spokesman in the European Parliament, today (27 April) called on the European Commission to allow the marketing of a variety of GM sweet corn throughout the EU. He made his call after agriculture ministers yesterday passed the decision on the corn, known as Bt-11, back to the Commission.
Bowe was cited as saying that “the rules are there not to stop GM crops, but to regulate them. Where GM crops can benefit the environment or the consumer they should be permitted, provided, always, that they meet our tough tests”.
"The anti-GM campaigners say consumers do not want GM products. If that is so then the market should decide. That is why I am in favour of a tough labelling regime that will clearly mark out GM products. We now have just such a labelling system in place.
"Now consumers can decide - and that is just the way it should be. The labelling system, which I and others fought for - tooth-and-nail - in the Parliament, against the opposition of big food companies who wanted to deprive consumers of information and so strip them of choice, gets the balance right.
"There is no scientific, health or medical reason not to allow consumers the choice of buying this product. That is why the Commission should approve it.”
GM maize: EU ministers fail to agree on safety
April 26, 2004
Friends of the Earth
From a news release
Friends of the Earth today urged the European Commission to reject an application to allow genetically modified (GM) sweetcorn to be imported into Europe after EU Agriculture Ministers failed to reach a decision.
The final decision now rests with the European Commission, which has already threatened to use its legal powers to force the GM sweetcorn onto the market. If GM maize is allowed into Europe it will mark the end of Europe's de facto moratorium on the licensing of new GM food and crops.
According to Friends of the Earth's GM campaigner Clare Oxborrow, "all eyes will now be on the European Commission. Either it can force the GM sweetcorn onto the European market, knowing that there are unanswered questions about its safety, or it must reject it outright. Time and time again European consumers have stated their opposition to GM food. It is time for the Commission to put the safety of consumers ahead of the interests of the biotech industry and refuse to allow GM sweetcorn to be imported into Europe."
A briefing - Ten reasons not to approve Bt11 - can be found at: www.foeeurope.org/GMOs
UK bid to end GM moratorium thwarted
April 27, 2004
Green Party – Press Release
On the same issue, Caroline Lucas, Green Party MEP for South-East England and a member of the European Parliament's Environment Committee, said that if the Commission now gives the go-ahead after the lack of support in the Council, “it could be the death-knell for organic and non-GM farming in the EU.”
According to Lucas: "We have no clear legal basis for dealing with liability for GM-contamination of non-GM crops and there are still several unanswered questions about the safety of Bt11 sweetcorn. Again we see the UK government ignoring public opinion and environmental protection in favour of the American biotech industry."
Venezuela to prohibit transgenic crops
April 27, 2004
The Progress Report
Jason Tockman
Source - Venezuelanalysis.com
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez Frias has announced that the cultivation of genetically modified crops will be prohibited on Venezuelan soil, possibly establishing the most sweeping restrictions on transgenic crops in the Western Hemisphere.
Before a recent international gathering of supporters in Caracas, President Chavez admonished genetically engineered crops as contrary to interests and needs of the nation’s farmers and farmworkers. He then terminated a project in which Monsanto would plant up to 500,000 acres of transgenic soybeans in Venezuela.
Chavez is cited as saying that fields intended to be used in the project would be used to plant yuca, an indigenous crop, and announced the creation of a large seed bank facility to maintain indigenous seeds for peasants movements around the world.
High amount of alfalfa kill possible
April 27, 2004
Standard-Freeholder (Cornwall)
11
Greg Peerenboom
CORNWALL – According to Gilles Quesnel, a Cornwall-area crop advisor with the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, farmers should carefully check alfalfa fields for signs of “winter kill”. The story says that inadequate snow cover and an extended deep-freeze may result in above-normal levels of alfalfa "winter kill" this year.
Quesnel suggests that if there is above 50 per cent kill in a field, farmers could "work up the ground" to allow what's left of the alfalfa to enter the ground and act as a potent nitrogen equivalent for growing corn” and indicated in the story that the decision should be made “over the next week."
Leaving the damaged alfalfa will encourage weed growth, he said, adding that bad spots could also be planted with red clover or oats.
Meanwhile, the deep frost and cool spring are starting to delay this spring's planting, but it's too early to worry about it.
"There's a small delay right now, but it hasn't gotten to a critical point," said Quesnel.
Nonetheless, Quesnel said farmers "eager to get on" the fields would be prudent to wait a little longer.
"The last bit of frost is going out—it's delaying the dry down, especially in the low spots here and there."
"Farmers should be balancing that with the fact where there are heavier types of soil, they shouldn't get on (with machinery) when it's damp."
Wheat and other cereals, such as barley and oats, germinate well and grow quickly in wet and cool conditions, which are prevalent in mid-spring.
According to the story, wheat should be planted before May 5 to ensure a good "milling"-quality yield.
Byrne welcomes Council support on establishing common maximum residue levels
April 26, 2004
IP/04/543
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/start/cgi/guesten.ksh?p_action.gettxt=gt&doc=IP/04/543|0|RAPID&lg=en&display=
From a news release
Today the Agriculture Council reached political agreement on a Regulation aiming to harmonise at the European level the maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides permitted in products of plant and animal origin.
David Byrne, Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection, welcomed the Council's political agreement. He said, "Establishing a unified approach at EU-level to pesticide residues will provide significant protection for consumers across Europe. Having the same MRL across the EU can boost consumer confidence by making it clear that for example apples from another country will not have higher levels of pesticide residues than the well known national apples."
The consequence of the Regulation entering into force will be that all MRLs for plant protection products (pesticides) will become harmonised after a transitional 'phase-in' period, and will in future only be set at the European level. It removes all trade inconsistencies that result from the current situation whereby Member States can set their own national MRLs in the absence of EU-wide (Community) MRLs.
In addition to consolidating and simplifying existing legislation, a primary objective of the Regulation is to define the roles of the different actors in the process of setting MRLs. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will be responsible for risk assessment, while the Commission will provide risk management by setting the MRLs, taking EFSA's opinions into consideration.
The Commission already has an active annual programme of residues monitoring in place, which will be able to feed EFSA with additional data for risk assessment.
The Regulation will now go to the European Parliament for a second reading with a view to allow the Regulation to enter into force in 2005.
More information can be found at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/ph_ps/pest/intro_en.pdf
Gene silencing licence boosts crop research
April 26, 2004
PRNewswire
CANBERRA, Australia -- CSIRO has entered into a landmark licence agreement with Bayer CropScience over the application of its DNA-delivered RNAi (RNAi) gene silencing technology in certain major crops.
The deal is the first licence of CSIRO's patented RNAi technology to a leading agri-biotechnology company.
Under the agreement Bayer CropScience acquired a worldwide license to develop, market and sell selected crop plant varieties incorporating the RNAi technology.
Using RNAi, CSIRO Plant Industry researchers first demonstrated gene silencing in an organism in 1995.
RNAi can be used to introduce disease resistance, enhance nutritional qualities and control flowering by removing unwanted gene functions.
CSIRO has already applied RNAi to make healthier cottonseed oils for cooking and margarine by "switching off" genes in cottonseed that would otherwise produce the cholesterol-raising trans fatty acids usually made as a by-product of cottonseed processing.
Biotech corn use may be growing in Illinois, group's spokesman says
April 27, 2004
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Steve Tarter, Journal Star, Peoria, Ill.
BLOOMINGTON, Ill.— Mark Lambert, spokesman for the Illinois Corn Growers Association in Bloomington, says that biotech corn could be on the rise in Illinois, adding that "Illinois is still lagging behind when it comes to biotech but we may see it adapted at certain levels due to insect pressures around the state."
In 2003, 30 percent of the corn grown in Illinois was of the biotech variety, while 40 percent of the corn grown nationally was genetically altered. In Iowa, the only state that exceeds Illinois in corn production, 45 percent of last year's crop was biotech corn.
Iowa farmers are expected to increase the use of biotech hybrids to 53 percent this year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Acres devoted to biotech corn and beans will also rise in Illinois this year, according to the report.
Bt corn, a variety that offers a resistance to the corn borer insect pest, will see a slight increase from 25 to 27 percent in the state. Herbicide-resistant corn acres will be up to 14 percent from 11 percent in 2003. The use of herbicide-resistant soybeans will increase to 86 percent of all acres compared to the 81 percent planted last year, noted the USDA.
Biotech use in Illinois is tied to the insect problem, said Lambert. "It depends on where you are. In central Illinois, where farmers are experiencing insect problems five years out of 10, (biotech corn) may be well worth it," he said.
"Where Bt corn wasn't attractive for all farmers, varieties that target the corn rootworm may become an attractive option," said Lambert.
To head off problems resulting from insect resistance, St. Louis-based National Corn Growers Association has intensified efforts to educate farmers on planting biotech crops.
"If you're planting Bt corn, 20 percent of your crop should be non-Bt and it should be located within a half-mile of the biotech crop," said Leon Corzine, a farmer from Assumption, just south of Decatur, and vice-president of the NCGA.
That buffer zone is designed to prevent the corn borer from developing resistance to Bt technology. Such refuges are planted so insect pests that do develop a resistance are likely to mate with insects that haven't, resulting in offspring that continue to be susceptible.
"We're very pleased that, since 1995, we haven't found one resistant borer," he said.
Farmers who don't comply with the recommendation won't be able to use the technology, said Corzine. "We're adopting a two-strikes-and-you're-out approach. If you are found to be out of compliance two years in a row, you won't be able to buy the biotech seed," he said.
Corzine suggested that growers consult with their seed dealers and seed company representatives for more information.
While seeking to maintain Bt effectiveness, scientists are also preparing for the day when pests resist the Bt toxin. "As farmers well know, insect pests seem to eventually adapt to everything," wrote Dan Ferber in a recent issue of Science Now.
Microbiologists are working on a new toxin formula as an alternative to Bt, Ferber said.
Australia seizes Greenpeace ship over anti-GE protest
April 27, 2004
Agence France Presse English
SYDNEY - Australian police arrested the captain of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior early Tuesday after the vessel blockaded a harbor to prevent passage of a ship carrying genetically engineered soy.
Derek Nicholls, a 53-year-old New Zealander, was held for several hours and charged with entering a restricted port and failing to heed harbor master's orders over the protest at Port Kembla, south of Sydney, officials said.
The Rainbow Warrior entered Port Kembla's inner harbor late Monday to prevent the departure of the container ship The Rhein carrying the genetically engineered (GE) soy to Melbourne.
Port authorities and police seized the Greenpeace vessel early Tuesday and arrested Nicholls.
"The skipper was arrested without incident and the vessel, which had 22 people on board, was seized by police (and) the vessel was then taken to a wharf within the port," said a New South Wales police spokesman, Terry Dalton.
The rest of the crew, from a range of countries, were questioned overnight but were not charged.
The captain, crew and ship were released Tuesday and were en route for Melbourne, a Greenpeace spokesman said.
"We wanted to stop this shipment of genetically engineered soy getting into our food chain, so we weren't successful in that, but we've been very successful in delaying the shipment and in highlighting this issue to the people of Australia," the spokeswoman said.
The Rhein was already the target of a protest in Brisbane last week when activists painted "Stop GE Imports" on the ship's hull.
Worst locust threat in decade in Northwest Africa
April 27, 2004
Reuters
ROME - Northwest Africa faces the worst locust threat in a decade and Morocco's $400 million citrus crop could be at risk, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said on Tuesday.
FAO said $17 million has been spent since October 2003 on locust control operations, but that another $17 million is needed to stave off a plague.
FAO Locust Information Officer Keith Cressman was cited as saying this is the most serious locust situation in the region for 10 years.
The countries expected to be hardest hit are Algeria and Morocco, especially that country's $400 million citrus crop which is exported to Europe and North America, FAO said.
The last desert locust plague in 1987-1989 required several years and more than $300 million before it was brought to an end, FAO said.
85M boost for plum pox fight
April 27, 2004
The Review (Niagara Falls)
A1 / Front
Don Fraser
Source: Osprey News Network
VINELAND - Efforts to wipe out plum pox virus in Niagara and elsewhere in Canada were given an $85 million shot in the arm Monday.
The federal funding, to be paid out over seven years, was cheered by several in the area's tender-fruit industry.
They say the funding - announced at the federal Vineland Research Station – is needed to combat the problem and compensate growers who'll have to uproot diseased trees.
"We sure do appreciate this $85 million commitment from the federal government," said grower Kevin Buis, who's Niagara-on-the-Lake tender-fruit crop has been hit by plum pox virus.
About 16 hectares of his farm's peach trees have had to be removed, representing perhaps half of that crop.
"It's good to see the support not only for the fruit industry, but agriculture in general," said Buis. "That kind of money should have a positive impact on fruit growers."
Plum pox is not a threat to human or animal health, but the insect-borne plant disease affects tender fruit such as peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots.
In Canada, the disease was first detected in Niagara, and other areas of Ontario and Nova Scotia in 2000. It infects trees and can drastically reduce marketability and crop yields.
Many local growers were affected and local fruit supplies to canning operations were especially hard hit.
After 2000, tens of thousands worth of peach trees were destroyed in a $40-million effort to fight the virus.
An export ban was also placed on the region to prevent infected trees from being shipped to other areas of the country.
A plum pox eradication program was set up in 2001 by the province and tender fruit industry and it proved successful in suppressing the disease in Niagara.
Soybean shortage may increase prices of consumer products
April 27, 2004
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Phil Porter, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio
According to this story, a soybean shortage could push prices higher this summer for consumer items such as salad dressings and baby food.
Severe drought in Missouri and Iowa and attacks by aphids in the West last year drove inventories down to their lowest levels in more than three decades.
Another factor adding to the shortage is decreased production from Argentina and Brazil. Much of Brazil's harvest suffers from soybean rust, a fast-spreading fungus that could damage U.S crops if imported.
Heavy consumption and climbing prices have led to depleted supplies.
About 37 percent of last fall's U.S. harvest was left in inventory as of March 1 - that's the lowest level since 1973.
Soybean oil or meal are important ingredients in many processed foods, from frozen desserts to baby food and salad dressings. Tofu, milkshakes, snack foods and many baked goods also contain soybeans.
Soybean prices have nearly doubled in the past year, though the impact on consumer products hasn't been as dramatic.
Daniel A. Sumner, professor of agricultural and resource economics at the University of California, is cied as saying that consumers could see at most a low-single-digit increase in the price of soy-based items. Others say the impact could be negligible.
Another concern is that livestock feeds made from soybean meal could force hog and chicken producers to absorb higher prices or pass them on to consumers, experts said.
The United States grew 2.4 billion bushels of soybeans in 2003, 12 percent below the 2002 production, according to federal crop reports.
U.S. farmers are expected to plant 2 million more acres of soybeans this year.
Seed selection process grows complex, crucial for farm management
April 25, 2004
Knight-Ridder Tribune
Chris Clayton, Omaha World-Herald, Neb.
Len Nelson, an agronomy professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln says in this story that seed selection has become a critical aspect of farm management, adding that farmers are focusing more on the end use of their products, which requires that they adjust how they work year-round.
"If you go to some alternative seeds, suddenly you have to be a marketer because you have to find a market. You might have to store it, so you have to have a place for the grain, and you might have to take better care of it," Nelson said. "It becomes a different business than just hauling it to the elevator."
The farm revolution of biotechnology is reflected in the fact that 89 percent of the soybeans planted this year in Iowa and Nebraska will have a biotechnology trait. For corn, 64 percent of the Nebraska crop and 53 percent of the Iowa crop will have at least one biotech trait.
Farmers in both states use biotech seeds at a slightly higher rate than the national average.
"There are different variety lines out there developed for different growing conditions," said Doug Jose, an agronomist at UNL. "That's sort of where the complication comes in. These varieties are developed for very specific growing conditions."
The seeds a farmer chooses can even affect how much weight cattle gain. A recent University of Nebraska study compared seven corn hybrids for nutritional value and found an approximate 9 percent difference in weight gain for cattle among the different varieties.
"We knew the nutritional value would vary between hybrids, but we were surprised by how much of a difference it made," said Galen Erickson, an animal scientist. "There are tremendous implications for corn and cattle producers."
Soybeans can be selected for low or high oil content, protein levels, resistance to pests such as cyst nematodes and brown stem rust, as well as different maturity dates.
"It's like everything else," said Palle Pedersen, a soybean specialist at Iowa State University. "You specialize in that area where you really need help."
With seeds tailored to specific uses, farmers need to know where their crop will be delivered—whether to a wet mill, a livestock feed mill or an elevator that might deliver to Europe, which is opposed to genetically modified crops.
"We suggest you know where you are going to go with the corn when you plant it," said Sieck, who is president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association.
Agnet is produced by the Food Safety Network at the University of Guelph and is sponsored by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, Plants Program at the University of Guelph, Agricultural Adaptation Council (CanAdapt Program), AGCare, Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors, ConAgra Foods Inc., Meat Livestock Australia, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited (Canada), Monsanto Canada, National Pork Board, Syngenta Seeds, Inc. USA, JIFSAN, CropLife Canada, Canadian Animal Health Institute, National Cattlemen's Beef Association/Cattlemen's Beef Board, Burger King Corporation, Southern Crop Protection Association, Ag-West Biotech Inc., Ontario Agri-Food Technologies, Syngenta Crop Protection, Feedlot Health Management Services, Institute of Environmental Science Research Limited , National Food Processors Association, Tactix Government Consulting, Inc., CanAmera Foods, Global Public Affairs, and Agri Business Group, Inc.
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