Thursday, 07 July 2022 11:55

GE review must be broader

Written by  Mark Cameron
Act primary industries spokesman Mark Cameron. Act primary industries spokesman Mark Cameron.

OPINION: The Government's proposed review of genetic engineering needs to be widened to address its potential benefits to the agriculture industry and climate.

Recently, Environment David Parker said on Newshub Nation that they (the Government) were not planning to look at making it easier to have field trials that could greatly benefit the agriculture sector.

New Zealand’s primary sector accounts for 11.1% of GDP and contributes $52.2 billion in export revenue. As a nation, we can’t afford to lose our competitive advantage and be left behind as genetic engineering advancements transform the agriculture sector around the world.

ACT would make changes to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act to allow the agriculture industry to access game-changing technology that can revolutionise agriculture.

Take, as an example, the High Metabolisable Energy ryegrass – invented by New Zealand’s own AgResearch. This grass has the potential to reduce livestock methane emissions by around 23% and ensure less nitrogen is excreted into the environment by livestock feeding on this ryegrass.

The only problem is that, thanks to our outdated legislation, it is illegal to use it in New Zealand.

Former chief science advisor Sir Peter Gluckman has highlighted this technology and suggested legislative change in his report to the Government in 2019, saying:

“These are not able to be field trialled here but may be an effective way of sustaining productivity while lowering dairy cow numbers and the environmental burden of methane emissions.”

Our trans-Tasman neighbours modernised their GE laws in October 2019. New Zealand risks being left behind if we don’t do the same.

If the Government is serious about reducing agricultural emissions it should be looking at solutions like this – before taxing and destocking.

ACT would liberalise New Zealand’s laws on genetic engineering and allow New Zealand’s agricultural industry to be a leader, not a laggard, in this field.

More like this

Action, not words

OPINION: The new Government may be farmer friendly, but it's not love, rather action that farmers want.

Unproductive

OPINION: Last week marked the closure of one government funded entity that people had hardly heard of.

Hoggard's double Act

ACT MP Andrew Hoggard may no longer be hands-on every day at his dairy farm at Kiwitea in the Manawatu, but when Parliament is sitting he still gets up at 5am and checks the messages that have come in from the dairy shed at his property.

Gumboots in chamber

Last week's Parliament sitting saw another first – a few Government MPs wearing gumboots in the House during Question Time.

Better laws for farmers

The new chair of Parliament’s primary production select committee, Mark Cameron, is promising “better law making” for the sector.

Featured

Sheep drench resistance costly

Analysis by Dunedin-based Techion New Zealand shows the cost of undetected drench resistance in sheep has exploded to an estimated $98 million a year.

Dairy sheep and goat turmoil

Dairy sheep and goat farmers are being told to reduce milk supply as processors face a slump in global demand for their products.

Hurry up and slow down!

OPINION: We have good friends from way back who had lived in one of our major cities for many years.

National

Knowing bugs means fewer drugs

A mastitis management company claims to deliver the fastest and most accurate mastitis testing available at scale for New Zealand…

Machinery & Products

AGTEK and ARGO part ways

After 12 years of representing the Landini and McCormick brands in New Zealand, Bay of Plenty-based AGTEK and the brands’…

100 years of Farmall Tractors

Returning after an enforced break, the Wheat and Wheels Rally will take place on the Lauriston -Barhill Road, North-East of…

JD unveils its latest beast

John Deere has unveiled its most powerful tractor ever, with the launch of the all new 9RX Series Tractor line-up…

Biggest Quadtrac coming to NZ!

In the biggest announcement that Case IH Australia/New Zealand has made around its tractor range, its biggest tractor is about…

» Latest Print Issues Online

The Hound

Why?

OPINION: A mate of yours truly wants to know why the beef schedule differential is now more than 45-50 cents…

Fat to cut

OPINION: Your canine crusader understands that MPI were recently in front of the Parliamentary Primary Sector Select Committee for an…

» Connect with Rural News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter