Mr WOOD - 2008-02-14
As you would know, bananas have a huge potential in the Northern Territory, especially when you see what happens to production after bananas get wiped out by cyclones such as Cyclone Larry. However, we cannot take advantage of that because of the dreaded Panama disease which has devastated the banana crop in the Northern Territory - and there seems no cure in sight. Recently, the ABC Country Hour did a story on 1 February this year on the possibility of Panama disease-resistant bananas being developed using a form of genetic engineering, bearing in mind your department is saying it could take years to find a resistant variety using conventional techniques. Would your government support research into bananas developed using GM technology? Would you allow such bananas to be grown in the Territory and, if you would not, could you explain in scientific terms as to why not?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. We are always open to looking at research into crops which will benefit the Northern Territory and Australia in general. I can assure the member for Nelson that there are no proposals to grow any GM crops in the Northern Territory. Research has been undertaken at the Coastal Plains Research Farm to identify varieties of bananas that are resistant to Panama disease, and we spoke of that at length in parliament last year.
At present, there are no GM bananas licensed for release in Australia. Worldwide research on GM bananas is not focused on the Panama disease. It is, however, focused on it as a food crop. As we know, the Cavendish banana is the one that is grown in the Northern Territory. It is a dessert-style banana and is not being looked at as a GM crop at this stage. As I said, the food crop is more important because there are number of countries around the world that rely on the banana as a food source.
Technology required to produce GM bananas is extremely costly and has to be undertaken by very large and specialist laboratories. Before any GM crop is grown in the Northern Territory, or anywhere in Australia, as we all know, it has to be approved by a national regulator. At this stage, there are no moves to be undertaken at this stage for GM crops.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Nelson for his question. We are always open to looking at research into crops which will benefit the Northern Territory and Australia in general. I can assure the member for Nelson that there are no proposals to grow any GM crops in the Northern Territory. Research has been undertaken at the Coastal Plains Research Farm to identify varieties of bananas that are resistant to Panama disease, and we spoke of that at length in parliament last year.
At present, there are no GM bananas licensed for release in Australia. Worldwide research on GM bananas is not focused on the Panama disease. It is, however, focused on it as a food crop. As we know, the Cavendish banana is the one that is grown in the Northern Territory. It is a dessert-style banana and is not being looked at as a GM crop at this stage. As I said, the food crop is more important because there are number of countries around the world that rely on the banana as a food source.
Technology required to produce GM bananas is extremely costly and has to be undertaken by very large and specialist laboratories. Before any GM crop is grown in the Northern Territory, or anywhere in Australia, as we all know, it has to be approved by a national regulator. At this stage, there are no moves to be undertaken at this stage for GM crops.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016