WA No Till Farming Association members rallied behind Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman last week, when the future of Genetically Modified (GM) crops, and the growing of GM canola on a commercial scale this season, were threatened by the potential success of a disallowance motion raised in State Parliament by Shadow Agriculture Minister Mick Murray.
Despite downplaying his political will and savvy, former WANTFA president Toll Temby gave a clear and concise warning to conference delegates in his opening address, about the pending disaster unfolding in the corridors of Parliament.
There were some tense moments as thoughts turned to the potential loss of about 200 tonnes of GM seed that had already been purchased and was ready to go into the ground in a month or two, on farms throughout the Wheatbelt.
Mr Temby explained how several members of the Coalition Government were threatening to cross the floor and vote with Labor and the Greens on the disallowance motion.
If successful, it would have seen GM crops unable to be grown commercially in WA, therefore torpedoing the hopes of many growers and WANTFA members, who were gearing up to use the technology this season and have been calling for its introduction.
Prior to the lunch break, a slide was posted informing delegates how to contact South Perth MLA John McGrath and Southern River MLA Peter Abetz, who were threatening to cross the floor later in the day.
Mr Temby said the Premier had asked his Liberal colleagues to, "tow the line".
Mr Temby urged delegates not to be complacent and make contact with the politicians.
The slides outlined the messages to be relayed, including the need for farmers to compete fairly, and that the future of farm viability was "dependant" on the uptake of new technologies, like GM's.
Despite the motion failing, several WANTFA members expressed concern that the political "game playing" could continue in future, and become an annual "saga", because GM crops were being grown under an exemption to the moratorium.
They were also concerned the disallowance motion would send a negative message to the research community, about the long-term prospects for biotechnology investment in WA farming.
Former WANTFA president Geoffrey Marshall applauded Mr Redman's stance on GM's, but lamented the ongoing political involvement.
"Sadly we are in a political world and the future of GM's, what we are talking about here, is fraught with danger," he said.
"Until the moratorium on GM crops is totally removed in WA, we may have to put up with this kind of saga every year."
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