NOTE: GrainCorp's customers who want GM-free canola should note they don't give a damn.

EXTRACT: "There's absolutely no problems to anyone who's delivered any grain, be it canola or anything else, to either of those sites," he said.

"And if there's any growers who've delivered non-GM canola to those sites, they needn't have any concerns whatsoever."
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1.GrainCorp confirms GM canola find
ABC< 16 December 2009
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/16/2773906.htm

A grains company has confirmed genetically-modified (GM) canola has been detected at two northern Victorian silos.

GrainCorp says independent tests have found small amounts of GM canola at Dunolly, west of Bendigo, and Lillimur, near Nhill.

But the company says the amounts are well below industry threshold levels.

Spokesman David Ginns says it will not affect prices farmers are paid for grains crops.

"There's absolutely no problems to anyone who's delivered any grain, be it canola or anything else, to either of those sites," he said.

"And if there's any growers who've delivered non-GM canola to those sites, they needn't have any concerns whatsoever."

Bob Phelps from anti-GM group Gene Ethics says the discovery is not a surprise.

"The GM cowboys want to deliver to the local silo, because it minimises their transport costs and maximises their returns if they can come under the radar and deliver themself as GM-free," he said.
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2.GrainCorp's GM-free Dunolly receival depot GM contaminated
Gene Ethics, News Media Release, December 15 2009

A GM grower has delivered a shipment of GM canola to GrainCorp's GM-free silo at Dunolly in Victoria. Monsanto and GrainCorp's claims that voluntary segregation could protect GM-free growers and shoppers are shown to be false and misleading. The GrainCorp document attached (see item 3) says the GM farmer should all the costs of this contamination event.`

"At its very first attempt, GrainCorp dismally failed  to prevent a load of GM canola from being dumped at its GM-free Dunolly receival depot, showing GM contamination is inevitable, as we predicted," says Gene Ethics Director, Bob Phelps.

"Graincorp's claim that Dunolly is still GM-free because overall GM contamination is less than 0.9% is just ludicrous. Dilution is not the same as decontamination and the threshold is for accidental pollution, not deliberate or routine GM contamination. This was no accident," he says.

"Graincorp's assurances that Genetically Manipulated (GM) and non-GM canola could and would be segregated throughout supply chains are shown to be worthless. Their claim that 87 different segregations in grain supply chains could coexist with GM canola was a fib and the GM-free integrity of all grains and oilseeds is now at risk.

"Monsanto and Graincorp designed their shonky system to ensure GM contamination would be inevitable and that all canola would soon become GM, as happened in North America. They know perfectly well that segregation does not work.

"The whole voluntary supply chain system also depends on the honesty of GM canola growers who evidently cannot be trusted.

"Graincorp's policy of comingling GM and non-GM at some silos while claiming to keep others GM-free was bound to fail. This double standard has just encouraged GM cowboys to dump their loads at the nearest site to minimise their transport costs and maximise the possibility of falsely claiming the $10/tonne non-GM premium offered by Elders and CBH.

"Now we expect every farmer who delivered to Dunolly will have their canola down-graded to GM contaminated and will miss out on the premium as Elders and CBH have said they will not buy from any silo that handles GM.

"Graincorp must strongly enforce its own guidelines to teach the GM cowboys a lesson. The guidelines say: 'Any grower responsible for delivering CANG (GM) canola against the CAN (GM-free) grade code may be liable for any or all relevant losses and costs associated with the mixing of these grades.' The GM cowboys responsible for contamination at Dunolly must pay the losses of all the GM-free growers who were entitled to the GM-free premium of $10/tonne.

"GM-free will be meaningless if the GM-free Dunolly site becomes comingled at will through Graincorp's incompetence and the actions of GM polluters," he concludes.

See: http://www.asx.com.au/products/futures/grain/delivery_information/delivery_locations.htm#GNC%20ACM   to confirm the Donolly site is GM-free.

More comment from:

Bob Phelps
Executive Director
Gene Ethics
Level 2, 60 Leicester St, Carlton 3053 Australia
Tel:    03 9347 4500 {Int Code +613}
Mob:    0449 769 066
Fax:        03 9341 8199
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WWW: http://www.geneethics.org