The Victorian Agriculture Department wants to conduct the state's largest genetically modified wheat trial at Horsham in the state's west. But a recent GM wheat contamination in the United States, that shut down wheat exports, has the organic food industry worried.

THE push for a free trade area in the Asia-Pacific is behind steps to remove a ban on genetically modified crops in Tasmania, say the Greens.

Researchers say they have found a wheat gene which will help fight one of the biggest threats to global wheat production. The gene helps give wheat resistance to a deadly strain of stem rust called Ug99 which is capable of wiping out entire wheat crops.

Mark Lynas: The authors are GM activists/campaigners and their results shouldn’t be trusted. [...] Detailed Answer: Two authors are Associate Professors in Health and the Environment, School of the Environment, Flinders University in South Australia. Another is a Senior Lecturer at Adelaide University in South Australia. Two are veterinarians, one is a medical doctor, and two are farm experts. The authors have over 60 years of combined experience and expertise in medicine, animal husbandry, animal nutrition, animal health, veterinary science, biochemistry, toxicology, medical research, histology, risk assessment, epidemiology and statistics.

An agribusiness in western Victoria is selling genetically modified canola seed for half price because demand is limited. Across Australia, 8 per cent of canola plantings are GM varieties. Elders agronomist Jamie Ball says farmers are reluctant to sow GM canola because they’re concerned it will increase the number of herbicide resistant weeds on their farms.

The Tasmanian Government has indicated it is unlikely to lift a ban on genetically-modified crops. The moratorium on GMO crops in the state expires in November 2014 and some parts of the poppy industry are pushing for the ban to be overturned. Primary Industries Minister Bryan Green has told State Parliament that allowing genetically-modified crops could harm Tasmania’s niche products, but he intends to seek public consultation.

Australia, the world’s No. 2 supplier of wheat, could struggle to soak up extra demand if international buyers increasingly shun the U.S. grain after an unapproved genetically modified strain of the crop was found in Oregon. Major buyers Japan and South Korea have shelved plans to purchase U.S. wheat, while other Asian nations say they are monitoring the situation as U.S. officials race to quell alarm following news of the discovery. But tightening supply from Australia in the wake of unsustainably brisk exports and growing demand from domestic livestock farmers could drive buyers elsewhere, with Canadian and European sellers set to profit.

the following is a provocation for CSIRO to answer some questions about money and power. At the centre of my case is an expensive transgenic pea and its spectacular reversal of fortune. Eight years ago, the pea was doomed to “never be seen on the planet again”. The world was told the pea’s DNA would be destroyed. But in a backflip from its 2005 decision to abandon its GM field-pea, CSIRO is now reviving the pea’s reputation. It is now casting doubt on the studies that suggested the pea is unsafe for consumption. [...] But it has now come to light that not all peas were destroyed. They were exiled to Europe, where Higgins, CSIRO and other scientists sought millions of euros for further overseas research.

GEELONG scientists are getting closer to creating the world’s first disease-proof animals. The ground-breaking CSIRO Australian Animal Health Laboratory (AAHL) project is producing genetically modified chickens, using cutting-edge science from the plant world. It is hoped the CSIRO super-chickens will breed disease-resistant offspring, creating a line of poultry which is immune to the deadly bird flu.

The next time you head into town for the family treat of fish and chips, ask your fryer what oil they’re using. Chances are it’s cottonseed oil. My local milkbar has just switched to it. It’s cheaper than what they were using and has a higher burning point which means less smell. If it’s cottonseed oil produced in Australia, it’s more than likely to be genetically modified because most cotton seed produced in Australia is genetically modified. Genetically modified cotton has been a boon for farmers: it contains genes from a bacteria that produces a protein that kills caterpillars when they eat it. Some cotton varieties now also contain genes that make the cotton tolerant to herbicides such as glyphosate.