Biodiesel NZ move concerns grain and seed sector

Media Release

Friday August 24 2007

Biodiesel NZ move concerns grain and seed sector

The New Zealand Grain and Seed Trade Association (NZGSTA) remains concerned about possible contamination of higher-value crops in Canterbury by plans to grow oilseed rape for biodiesel in the region.

The NZGSTA has acknowledged the responsible approach Biodiesel New Zealand (BDNZ) intends taking as it seeks to contract 1500 hectares of oilseed rape in the South Island this coming season, but cautioned that the area of arable land in the region is limited and currently used for growing food as well as valuable export seed crops.

BDNZ, a division of coal-mining company Solid Energy, has indicated its contracted crops would be registered with the Seed Quality Management Authority’s seed crop isolation distance scheme and growers will have to abide by its code of practice.

NZGSTA President David Melhuish said this recognised the restraints essential to any plan to grow an oilseed rape crop in the eastern South Island.

“Their stated intentions to observe industry best practice in buying only crops grown from supplied seed, and registering the crops with the Seed Crop Isolation Distance scheme, acknowledge the care required in intensively cultivated areas to ensure that a crop remains true to type,” he said.

Previously urged by NZGSTA to keep oilseed rape crops out of Mid-Canterbury, BDNZ says it wants to talk to experienced arable farmers in North Otago, Canterbury, south of the Ashburton River and north of the Waimakariri River, and Southland growers.

However, just south of the Ashburton River is not far enough away, said Mr Melhuish.

“We still have concerns that any biodiesel crops grown south of the Ashburton River are too close to those export vegetable seed crops and we would encourage Biodiesel New Zealand to look further south in Canterbury for their contracting farmers.

“It would be disastrous if rape seed contaminated other crops.”

Oilseed rape is also of concern to growers of specialist arable crops because unharvested seed can lie dormant in soil for many years. It readily germinates with any later crop, causing major contamination issues.

Mr Melhuish said whether BDNZ achieves the area it is seeking will boil down to economics.

“Farmers make cropping decisions rationally, weighing the price they are offered against the yields they could expect to produce. Economics are always the determining factor and these Biodiesel New Zealand contracts will be greeted no differently. We respect farmers’ rights to make their own decisions in these matters.”

ENDS

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