Arabic version: مزارعو الكانولا في أستراليا الغربية يدرسون اتخاذ إجراءات بسبب خسائر المحاصيل
According to ABC News, Western Australian canola growers are considering legal action after reporting crop failures in several genetically modified canola varieties, with some potential losses running into millions of dollars.
A specialist agribusiness law firm, Bailiwick Legal, has received more than 40 enquiries from grain growers this season. The complaints concern the glyphosate-resistant TruFlex gene, which is designed to allow canola plants to survive weed-control chemicals including glyphosate.
Growers have raised concerns about the Emu and Hunter varieties from Nufarm Seeds and BASF’s InVigor LR405 40P. Mark Fowler, who farms near Williams and Wickepin and is WAFarmers Grains Council president, said 1,100 hectares of his 3,500 hectares of canola involved two affected varieties. He said the issue could cost his business up to $1 million.
Mr Fowler said drought conditions and severe frost had affected parts of the agricultural zone, but he did not believe weather was responsible for the underperformance he observed. Bailiwick Legal associate director Matilda Lloyd said farmers believed some varieties had lost glyphosate tolerance and that losses for some growers could reach millions of dollars.
BASF, Nufarm and Bayer said they were investigating reports. BASF said the cause had not been determined, while Nufarm said agronomic and seasonal factors could be relevant. Consumer Protection Commissioner Trish Blake said WA farmers were protected by consumer guarantees and could seek compensation where seed did not perform as described, urging growers to preserve evidence.
