Publication: Rural Press Limited
Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Canadian farmers are about $14 a hectare better off growing genetically modified canola, says Canola Council of Canada's chairman, Stew Gilroy. Mr Gilroy says the major drivers are lower input costs, especially herbicides, better weed management and better yields - up to 10pc better than conventional varieties available in Canada.

He says the lower costs and higher yields far outweigh the extra cost of the GM technology users agreement paid to the patent holders.

Growers in Canada are roughly split between Monsanto's glyphosate tolerant line and Bayer's glufosinate ammonium tolerant cultivar.

"There is no doubt these technologies offer easier and cheaper alternatives for weed control than conventional varieties," Mr Gilroy says.

He says the thorny issue of weed resistance had not been an issue in Canada. To date there have been no confirmed cases of glyphosate or glufosinate ammonium resistant weeds in the major production area of western Canada.

"The development of resistant weeds is certainly a concern but as we have seen with weeds that are resistant to other classes of chemistry, alternate management options can usually be developed," he says.

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