March 4, 2003

According to the Grains Research and Development Corporation, the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has engaged Tasmanian Quality Assured Inc. to study quality management systems for segregating genetically modified (GM) farm products.

Federal Agriculture Minister Warren Truss said Tasmanian Quality Assured would conduct four case studies involving current supply chain quality management systems.

These would involve the cotton industry and its relationship with stockfeed, the canola and poppy industries and GM pastures and their relationship with the dairy industry.

Mr Truss said the use of gene technology in the cotton industry and trials with other crops such as
canola and poppies had added other complexities ­ besides food quality and safety in identifying, preserving and segregating agricultural products throughout the supply chain.