MAF, minister face GM outcry
by Mary-Jane Angus
ruralnews.co.nz, 21/5/2007

Furious farmers caught up in the GM corn import saga say they have beenleft out of pocket and out in the cold as a result of bungledbiosecurity.
Many who planted the genetically modified corn cleared by MAF QuarantineServices, only to later have it destroyed, are still waiting forcompensation four months after the gaffe.
A Rural News investigation reveals a sordid saga of buck-passing withfarmers left to carry the cost of a mistake they played no part in.
Hawke's Bay corn grower Andrew Field who planted and subsequently had todestroy 20.5ha of GM corn says "ever since the outbreak, the handling ofthe issue has been diabolical".
"It's just been a debacle from whoa to go and those who have been leftout on a limb, and out of pocket, have been the growers," he says.
Last December MAF announced GM sweetcorn seed from US company Syngentawas incorrectly cleared by MAF's Quarantine Service in October 2006.
Seed was planted on 18 farms in Gisborne, Wairoa and Hawke's Bay over258ha. These crops were subsequently destroyed and 10 of the 18 affectedproperties have replanted 191ha of sweetcorn.
Questions remain about who should take responsibility for the mistakeand ensure full compensation is paid to farmers.
But Field believes that because the delays have not been publicised, theauthorities are happy to ignore the issue.
"They think we will go quietly and just disappear, but I'm certainly nothappy about it, and not keen to lay down and go away. Why should I?"
Field is still seeking an additional $800/ha to cover losses arisingfrom the incident because pasture resowing was delayed. So far he hasreceived $500/ha, which he believes was paid by Syngenta.
"This payment was deemed to cover all replanting costs although nothingwas ever received in writing to confirm this," he says.
Growers have requested $1000/ha to cover replanting and seed costs.
McCain Foods provided the seed for the second crop, which Fieldestimates cost $400/ha, and said it would help farmers recover costsfrom Syngenta. He says despite those assurances from the company no helphas been forthcoming.
National Party associate agriculture spokesman Nathan Guy told RuralNews there is a grey area in the Biosecurity Act surrounding whethercompensation can be sought and paid.
"Instead of MAF fronting up and acknowledging it's been their mistakeand paying farmers, they have sat back and appear to be passing the buckto Syngenta," he says.
"They have acknowledged they don't want to see farmers disadvantaged,and have been considering ex gratia payments.
"In my mind, they should have fronted up and made sure farmers weren'tout of pocket, and then gone to Syngenta to seek repayments from theseed company."
A stakeholder update issued by MAF on December 22 - obtained by RuralNews - says compensation is not payable by MAF under the Biosecurity Actfor losses due to the presence of GMOs, although the agency is keen tosee that growers are not disadvantaged as a result of this occurence.
It says Syngenta confirmed it would meet its obligations to growers.Further, MAF says it would meet the cost of crop destruction andfollow-up surveillance.
Growers seeking payment for the labour costs, chemical usage and otherexpenses directly associated with the destruction were told to submitdetailed invoices to AgriQuality.
Guy has questioned Biosecurity Minister Jim Anderton in Parliament onthe matter.
In response to whether compensation was offered, Anderton says losseswould result from the presence of GM material in the final crop, ratherthan from any actions that MAF might take to destroy such a crop.
"Biosecurity Act funding might not therefore be available," he says.
However, Anderton says Biosecurity NZ has stated this would not preventthe Government from providing an ex gratia payment.
"Indeed I have stated that I do not want farmers to go out of pocket,"he says. "Any ex gratia payments would need to be authorised by myselfor the Cabinet."
Guy says Anderton needs to commit to whether any ex gratia payments willbe made or not.
"He has had several months to do this, and it seems he has been sittingon his hands and passing the buck to the American supplier Syngenta.
"Farmers are a couple of months behind in their growth periods of wintercrops as a result of this breech, and it will have a significant effect
on their farmgate returns this season."

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