Monsanto Australia welcomes today’s approval of Roundup Ready canola by the Federal Government’s Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR).

The OGTR concluded that Roundup Ready canola is as safe as ordinary canola for human health and safety and for the environment. Monsanto applied to the OGTR in June 2002 after conducting Australian trials of Roundup Ready canola since 1997.

"The OGTR has conducted a rigourous and lengthy review, combining scientific knowledge from Australia and around the world with extensive public consultation, I applaud their process and finally after 18 months, their decision," said Terry Bunn, Managing Director of Monsanto Australia.

"Today’s decision is a major step towards giving Australian farmers the opportunity to choose cleaner, greener and more productive canola. It's a win-win for growers and the environment," said Mr Bunn.

Roundup Ready canola offers farmers the yield potential and vigor of the best conventional varieties combined with the simple and reliable weed control that has made herbicide tolerant varieties popular.

Roundup Ready canola is a special type of herbicide tolerant canola developed using plant biotechnology. It offers farmers a safe and more effective way to control weeds in their crops than existing herbicide tolerant canola, including Triazine Tolerant canola, which is the current market leader in Australia. Triazine Tolerant canola makes up more than 60% of Australia’s canola crop.

Roundup herbicide used on Roundup Ready canola has an excellent environmental safety record. In contrast, atrazine used on Triazine Tolerant canola can persist in the environment for long periods and can move in to ground water.

Farmer opinion indicates many growers are eager to move beyond the regulatory review and understand how Roundup Ready canola could work on their farms. Recent market research showed the majority of farmers surveyed believed it would be valuable to conduct large scale trials of Roundup Ready canola. Small plot trial results from 2003 indicate yield benefits for Roundup Ready canola compared with Triazine Tolerant canola of between 20% and 40%.

"Monsanto is working closely with the grain industry and with government to allow planting of sufficient area of Roundup Ready canola in 2004 to demonstrate co-existence between different canola production systems, to demonstrate the integrity of the supply chain and to provide an opportunity for more farmers to see Roundup Ready canola perform," said Mr Bunn.

Development of Roundup Ready canola began in the late 1980's, with Canadian farmers first using it in 1996. Since then it has grown to be the most popular weed control choice for Canadian growers, who chose Roundup Ready canola for almost 50% of the canola crop in 2003. All types of GM canola made up 73% of the Canadian crop in 2003.

"Our experience in the USA and Canada is that Roundup Ready canola has proved popular and successful with canola growers and their grain is finding ready customers," said Mr Bunn. The Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics (ABARE) confirmed the success of GM grains in international trade by concluding in a July 2003 report that, there is no strong evidence to suggest that GM grains generally are not finding ready markets throughout the world.

Independent regulatory agencies in Japan, the USA and Canada have previously concluded that Roundup Ready canola is safe for health and the environment. Today’s approval is the outcome of assessment by several government agencies. Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) has previously confirmed Roundup Ready canola to be as safe as other canola for food use.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has reviewed the use of Roundup herbicide with Roundup Ready canola. The APVMA studied a resistance management plan developed by Monsanto in consultation with leading Australian researchers.

Today’s approval, including APVMA endorsement of the "resistance management plan" confirms that Roundup herbicide can be used sustainably with Roundup Ready canola.