19 October 2001
PR159/01
FFNZ send a message to Wellington.
The National Board, Provincial Presidents and Industry Chairs of Federated Farmers of New Zealand (Inc) have each
written a total of 4,600 letters to all 120 Members of Parliament seeking their personal commitment to uphold the Royal
Commission's recommendations.
The Federation supports a cautious approach to GM technology and will only proceed if it meets market demands, subject
to safety and environmental assessment. This policy was unanimously adopted at the Federation's National Conference in
1998.
"The Federation is extremely concerned that groups opposed to new technology will undermine the strength of New
Zealand's agriculture sector, said FFNZ President Alistair Polson.
"Statements by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Economic Development, Hon Jim Anderton that an extended moratorium
on GM field trials would not cause the sky to fall in, are naïve and misguided. The current moratorium was a voluntary
undertaking by the scientific community, who had every expectation the moratorium would end in due course.
"While a politically expedient solution for the Government, a continued moratorium on GM field trails or commercial
release will effectively be a moratorium on GM. Any commercial release will be a minimum of two years away but no
organisation will be prepared to invest if it is vulnerable to political whim and the risk of an extended moratorium.
"Compliance requirements already make GM research a marginal activity, further constraints will tip the balance for
researchers and investors. Fonterra is not scare mongering when they say they will move their research offshore.
"New Zealand farmers compete on a daily basis with producers all over the world and these same competitors are using and
researching new technology in the battle for competitive advantage. If we are not able to compete New Zealand's future
as a world leader in efficient agricultural production of safe, high quality food at an affordable price will be in
jeopardy.
"Turning our back on this technology would be like rejecting refrigeration technology in the 1880's, aerial top dressing
in the 1950s or the chilled meat trade advances in the 1980s.
"It is time for the Government to show leadership and proceed with a cautious approach to GM technology, assessed on a
case by case basis"
ENDS