PLANTINGS of genetically modified canola in Australia will rise for the third consecutive year, mainly on the back of the lifting of the moratorium on production in Western Australia, according to researchers at the Kondinin Group.
With the introduction of GM into Western Australia, Kondinin estimates more than 90,000ha will be grown across Australia this year.
It marks a big increase from the 9600ha sown in the first year of GM production in 2008.
This increased four-fold during 2009 to 41,000ha, out of a total of 461,000ha sown to canola.
And Kondinin also found acceptance to the crops was rising within the farming community, with 51pc of growers surveyed saying they supported the introduction of GM crops, almost a 20 per cent increase from 2002.
It appears a significant proportion of WA growers will look at planting GM in its first year there, with Kondinin reporting that more than 600 individuals have completed the necessary GM accreditation process and more than 300 growers have signed a licence and stewardship agreement in preparation for the technology.
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