Welsh farmers could fall behind competitors - NFU

NFU Cymru has reacted with dismay to today’s statement by the Minister for Rural Affairs, Elin Jones that she intends to press ahead with a GM co-existence regime which will include a public register of farmers engaged in the growing of GM crops.

Reacting to the Minister’s statement, NFU Cymru Deputy President, Stephen James said, "I am concerned about the Minister’s plans to introduce a statutory, publically accessible register for those engaged in the growing of GM crops. We are concerned about the potential misuse of such a register by those opposed to GM crops in order to threaten, harass and intimidate those engaged in legitimate business.

"It is especially disappointing that the Minister has chosen to go down this route given that a public register of GM feed and food crops is not a European requirement and unfortunately represents an example of gold plating of European legislation.

"NFU Cymru is well aware of the fact that farmers must produce what consumers want to buy, and we believe that it is this guiding principle which we believe should help individual farmers reach a decision on whether or not they cultivate GM crops. It would be wrong for government at any level to attempt to engineer a back door ’ban’ on GM cultivation through the use of an overly restrictive co-existence regime."

Mr James ended, "I believe that there is room for organic, conventional and GM production to co-exist in Wales. Wales’ farmers should not be left behind compared to their colleagues in the rest of Europe when it comes to accessing new technology and I would appeal to the Welsh Assembly Government not to shut the door on science and to keep an open mind on new technologies."