Genetically modified wheat funding

Submitted by Louise Sales on Thu, 07/04/2011 - 15:20

Extract from Hansard
[COUNCIL — Wednesday, 6 April 2011]
Hon Lynn MacLaren; Hon Robyn McSweeney

GENETICALLY MODIFIED WHEAT — FUNDING

Hon LYNN MacLAREN to the minister representing the Minister for Agriculture and Food:

I refer to the Premier’s recent statement that he did not support genetically modified wheat.

(1) In the past two years how much funding has the government allocated to GM wheat research?

(2) In the past two years how much funding has the government allocated to non-GM wheat breeding
techniques such as marker assisted selection?

(3) Does the government intend to discontinue its funding of GM wheat research, given the market
rejection of this product?

(4) Is the minister aware of the recent United Nations report “Agro-ecology and the right to food”, which
shows that small-scale farmers can double food production in a decade by using simple ecological
methods?

(5) How much funding has the government allocated to researching ecological methods of increasing
productivity?

Hon ROBYN McSWEENEY replied:

I do not have the answer to that question here. I have one question from the member, but I have not seen that
one. If I find it, I will read it out later.

Extract from Hansard
[COUNCIL — Thursday, 7 April 2011]
Hon Robyn McSweeney

GENETICALLY MODIFIED WHEAT — FUNDING

Question without Notice 243 — Answer Advice

HON ROBYN McSWEENEY (South West — Minister for Child Protection) [5.08 pm]: I wish to provide
an answer to Hon Lynn MacLaren’s question without notice 243, asked of me yesterday as the minister
representing the Minister for Agriculture and Food, which I seek leave to have incorporated into Hansard.
Leave granted. [See paper 3214.]

The following material was incorporated —

I thank the Hon. Member for some notice of this question.

(1) $0.

(2) $0.8 million in 2009/10 and $1.0 million in 2010/11.

(3) Not applicable.

(4) Yes.

(5) The Department of Agriculture and Food’s Grains Industries Program Practice and Systems Innovation has a $6.5 million budget
in 2010/11.