1. Discussion today on shortlist for GM crops
2. MAFF holds up hands for GM fiasco
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1. Discussion today on shortlist for GM crops
The Northern Echo
10 Feb 2001

UP to 96 sites selected for the next round of genetically modified crop trials this spring are to be announced later this month.

Scientists have recommended up to 32 maize, 32 spring sown oilseed rape and 32 beet sites should be sown between March and May.

A shortlist of sites is considered today by the scientific steering committee, which oversees the current three-year round of farm scale evaluations of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant crops.

A final list will be agreed with individual farmers and the department of the environment, transport and the regions will be notified of the locations of oilseed rape and beet fields, with the sites announced to the public on February 26.

Sites proposed for maize, sown slightly later in the year, will be announced on March 26.

Depending on soil and weather conditions, sowing of oilseed rape could start in mid or late March and go on through April, with beet being sown from the end of March through April. Maize would be sown from late April into May.

Agriculture minister Baroness Hayman said separation distances would be increased from 50 to 100 metres for oilseed rape and from 50 to 80 metres for forage maize.

Early discussions at local level between farmers and organic growers in their areas have been encouraged by ministers. Meetings are also to be arranged with beekeeping organisations about specific issues affecting their business.

A farm at Hutton Magna, near Barnard Castle, was at the centre of unrest over GM crops during the last round of trials.

In November last year, five activists were found guilty of destroying oilseed rape worth £2,000 at Hutton House farm, the site of an evaluation by AgrEvo UK, now known as Aventis. The protestors attacked the field in October 1999.

That same month, the government was criticised by Mr William Hague, Tory leader and Richmond MP, after it was revealed "secret" GM crop trials had been carried out across the country.

In August last year, ministers gave the go-ahead for the next round of farm scale evaluations and Mr John Richardson, of Hutton House farm, who has publicly supported the research, agreed to take part in spite of the damage the previous year.
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2. MAFF holds up hands for GM fiasco
Farmers Weekly Interactive
By Isabel Davies
9 February 2001

THE Government has admitted it should have handled better certain aspects of last year's Advanta GM-contaminated rapeseed fiasco.

In reply to a report by the Agriculture Select Committee, ministers agreed that there were lessons to be learned from the incident.

Last May it was discovered that 4700ha (11,600 acres) of GM oilseed rape had been sown by up to 600 producers accidentally supplied with contaminated seed.

The Ministry of Agriculture came under criticism after it emerged that it waited a month before informing growers of the mix-up.

In its reply, the Government pointed out that this was the first time that an unauthorised GM impurity had been found in conventional seed in the UK.

As a novel situation, this raised difficult legal and technical issues needing careful consideration before appropriate action could be determined, it claimed.

But ministers said once it was clear which GM seed lines were involved, it had sought scientific advice from the Food Standards Agency and expert committees.

And the advice from the experts was that the situation did not pose any threat to either public or animal health, or the environment.

Suggestions that the UK had been slow to react, compared to Swedish authorities, were rejected as inappropriate.

Sweden did not realise it had a problem until a month later, by which time all early uncertainties had been cleared up, it claimed.

But it added: "Looking to the future, the government is taking steps to prevent a recurrence of this problem, but it will ensure appropriate action is taken should a similar incident occur.

"This will take account of the experience of the Advanta case."

Ministers agreed that there was a need to test conventional seed for GM content, and said this should be the responsibility of seed companies.

Steps are being taken to ensure this was happening by auditing the operations of seed importers.

Advanta ended up paying £1.7 million compensation to farmers.