Chicken producer phases out GM feed
ABC Rural News, February 14, 2005

One of the nation's largest chicken meat producers, Bartter-Steggles, says phasing out genetically modified feed shouldn't increase the price of chicken.
Bartter-Steggles is one of three companies which have agreed to source non-GM feed, to satisfy consumer perceptions that GM-free is better.
Chairman Peter Bartter says, for the first time, the company has found an overseas port which can segregate GM soy beans from non-GM beans.
"We thought we'd go the extra yards now that the beans can be sourced at no major cost impost to us.
"The price is a little bit dearer than the normal soy beans, or the GM beans, but the cost isn't high enough that it says to us that we have to increase the price of chicken.
"So while we can buy soy beans at the same price, we should do it."
The decision to phase out GM chicken feed has been welcomed by the Consumers' Association.
Food policy officer Clare Hughes believes consumers are concerned about GM feed, but isn't sure if shoppers will automatically buy more chicken.
"Well I'm not sure if it will change consumers' purchases, but I guess many consumers will be very confident in the fact that these poultry manufacturers, the biggest poultry manufacturers in Australia, are making a commitment to sourcing non-GM product; and I guess that can be for no other reason than consumer demand for non-GM product."
The former director-general of the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre, Professor Tim Reeves, says the public needs to be better informed about GM crops.
"It's pretty difficult to put up a case to say, 'yes there should be GM technology', because no-one knows what the costs and benefits are; but people do know that there's a market risk out there; and so, until that other side of the equation is filled with good, independently evaluated information it's going to be hard to for the debate to progress very satisfactorily."
** This is a transcript from the ABC National Rural News that is broadcast daily to all states on ABC Regional Radio's Country Hour and in the city on ABC News Radio.