GM crops are crucial for WA’s farming future
Western Australia grows considerably more GM canola than any other Australian state. Western Australian farmers continue to adopt GM canola varieties at an increasing rate as they recognise the advantages of superior weed control, higher yields and greater on-farm economic and environmental benefits.
Total GM Canola By Year (hectares)
| 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 6% | 8% | 7% | 5% | 5% | 9% | 11% |
| VIC | 13% | 16% | 6% | 3% | 5% | 9% | 13% |
| WA | 0% | 10% | 12% | 13% | 14% | 21% | 30% |
| National | 4% | 11% | 9% | 10% | 9% | 14% | 22% |
* The 2015 total area/national figure represents those states that allow GM canola to be grown (WA, VIC and NSW only)
By State (%)
| Active Constituent | Current Group |
|---|---|
| Abamectin | 6 |
| Acequinocyl | 20B |
| Acephate | 1B |
| Afidopyropen | 9D |
| Acetamiprid | 4A |
| Allethrin | 3A |
| Alpha-cypermethrin | 3A |
| Aluminium phosphide | 24A |
| Amitraz | 19 |
| Azadirachtin | UN |
| Azamethiphos | 1B |
| Azinphos methyl | 1B |
| Bacillus thuringiensis aizawai | 11 |
| Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis | 11 |
| Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki | 11 |
| Bacillus sphaericus | 11 |
| Bacillus thuringiensis enebrionis | 11 |
Beauveria bassiana | UN |
| Bendiocarb | 1A |
| Beta-cyfluthrin | 3A |
| Bifenazate | 20 |
| Bifenthrin | 3A |
| Bioallethrin | 3A |
| Bioresmethrin | 3A |
| Broflanilide | 30 |
| Buprofezin | 16 |
| Cadusafos | 1B |
| Carbaryl | 1A |
| Carbofuran | 1A |
| Carbosulfan | 1A |
| Chlorantraniliprole | 28 |
| Chlorfenvinphos | 1B |
| Chlorfluazuron | 15 |
| Chlorfenapyr | 13 |
| Chloropicrin | 8B |
| Chlorpyrifos | 1B |
| Chlorpyrifos-methyl | 1B |
Clitoria ternatea extract | UN |
| Clofentezine | 10A |
| Clothianidin | 4A |
| Cyantraniliprole | 28 |
| Cydia pomonella granulosis virus strain V22 | 31 |
| Cyflumetofen | 25B |
| Cyfluthrin | 3A |
| Cypermethrin | 3A |
| Cyromazine | 17 |
| Deltamethrin | 3A |
| Diafenthiuron | 12A |
| Diazinon | 1B |
| Dichlorvos | 1B |
| Dicofol | UN |
| Diflubenzuron | 15 |
| Dinotefuran | 4A |
| Dimethoate | 1B |
| Emamectin benzoate | 6 |
| Esbiothrin | 3A |
| Ethion | 1B |
| Etoxazole | 10B |
| Esfenvalerate | 3A |
| Fenamiphos | 1B |
| Fenbutatin oxide | 12B |
| Fenitrothion | 1B |
| Fenoxycarb | 7B |
| Fenpyroximate | 21A |
| Fenthion | 1B |
| Fenvalerate | 3A |
| Fipronil | 2B |
| Flonicamid | 29 |
| Flubendiamide | 28 |
| Flufenoxuron | 15 |
| Flumethrin | 3A |
| Gamma-cyhalothrin | 3A |
| Hexaflumuron | 15 |
| Hexythiazox | 10A |
| Hydramethylnon | 20A |
| Imidacloprid | 4A |
| Imiprothrin | 3A |
| Indoxacarb | 22A |
| Lambda-cyhalothrin | 3A |
| Lufenuron | 15 |
| Magnesium phosphide | 24A |
| Metaflumizone | 22B |
| Maldison (malathion) | 1B |
| Methidathion | 1B |
| Methiocarb | 1A |
| Methomyl | 1A |
| Methoprene | 7A |
| Methoxyfenozide | 18 |
| Methyl bromide | 8A |
| Mevinphos | 1B |
| Milbemectin | 6 |
| Oxamyl | 1A |
| Omethoate | 1B |
| Permethrin | 3A |
| Phorate | 1B |
| Phosmet | 1B |
| Phosphine | 24A |
| Pirimicarb | 1A |
| Pirimiphos-methyl | 1B |
| Polyhedral occlusion bodies of the NPV of Helicoverpa zea or H. armigera | 31 |
| Prallethrin | 3A |
| Profenofos | 1B |
| Propargite | 12C |
| Propoxur | 1A |
| Prothiofos | 1B |
| Pymetrozine | 9B |
| Pyrethrins | 3A |
| Pyridaben | 21A |
| Pyriproxyfen | 7C |
| Spinosad | 5 |
| Spinetoram | 5 |
| Spirotetramat | 23 |
| Sulfoxaflor | 4C |
| Tau-fluvalinate | 3A |
| Tebufenozide | 18 |
| Tebufenpyrad | 21A |
| Temephos | 1B |
| Terbufos | 1B |
| Tetradifon | 12D |
| Tetramethrin | 3A |
| Thiacloprid | 4A |
| Thiamethoxam | 4A |
| Thiodicarb | 1A |
| Transfluthrin | 3A |
| Trichlorfon | 1B |
| Triflumuron | 15 |
| Zeta-cypermethrin | 3A |
* The 2015 total area/national figure represents those states that allow GM canola to be grown (WA, VIC and NSW only)
Source: Australian Oilseeds Federation and Monsanto Australia
FAST FACT
Greatest uptake of GM canola is in Western Australia, where in 2015 GM canola will represent 30% of the WA canola crop (337,527 ha).
In Australia, we have demonstrated that GM and non-GM canola can be grown side-by-side successfully and productively without creating marketing issues. With several years under our belt of growing GM canola, there has not been one incident across more than 5.6 million tonnes of canola seed delivered domestically, or more than 15 million tonnes delivered internationally, where an end user (seed crusher / oil or meal buyer, or food/feed manufacturer) has not received what they had ordered in terms of the GM status.
Accessing ready-export markets such as China has been a boon for Australian farming since the Asian nation re-opened its borders to importation of canola in 2013. Since then, 1.75 million tonnes of Australian canola (GM and conventionally farmed) has been sold to China for a value of nearly A$1.1 billion. China is a large importer of GM grain, as evidenced by the 2-3 million tonnes of canola imported from Canada (95% GM) and 60 million tonnes of mostly GM soybeans imported from North and South America per annum. Similarly, Japan is a large user of GM grain, importing around 2 million tonnes each of Canadian canola and US/South American soybeans per year.
Australian farmers must be allowed to remain competitive. A farmer’s inability to grow approved, safe crops on their land purely because of a neighbour’s ideological opposition to those crops will severely impact Australia’s capacity to remain globally competitive as an agricultural exporter.
