Williams farmers show GM support

The debate over genetically modified farming systems has become highly visible for those passing through Williams.

For almost a year signs have been erected on the northern side of Williams declaring the small farming town a GM-free zone.

The signs were painted and erected by local Janette Liddelow, a member of the GM-Free Farmers Group.

Last week two more signs emerged on the property of Nick Panizza, near the Albany Highway, but instead these support GM farming.

Mr Panizza said he and another Williams farmer Lewis Johnstone erected the signs.

"The outside perception is that Williams as an area is against GM farming, which is not the case" he said.

"I believe that the majority of farmers here support GM farming. It's just we have been too quiet about this for too long and we felt it was time to get our voice out there."

In December last year, Mr Johnstone established a Pro-GM Group in response to the formation of the GM-Free Farmers Group.

Mr Johnstone said at the time they had support from 50 farmers and the aim was to show there were many farmers in Williams who had embraced GM farming.

Mr Panizza, who farms with his wife Jennifer and parents Bernie and Rachel, said with the Labor Party publically declaring it would ban GM farming if it won the 2017 election, pro-GM farmers were concerned they could lose access to this technology which formed an essential part of their weed management programs.

"We took on the lease of the property where the signs are located in 2010," he said.

"We did some resistance testing on ryegrass across the farm and it returned a pretty dire picture in terms of resistance to Clethodim.

"However, through the subsequent use of GM canola and other weed management tools, resistance testing completed last summer has shown there is no longer a resistance issue with Clethodim."

Mr Panizza said the technology was too important to lose and urged the current Government to repeal the GM Crops Free Areas Act immediately.

The Panizzas have planted GM canola since 2010. The 530ha GM plantings this year represent 50 per cent of their total canola plantings.

Williams farmer Jamie Fowler, who is part of the GM-Free Farmers Group, said he welcomed debate and had no issue with the supporters of GM farming airing their views.

However, he felt debate needed to be factual and the one-liners presented in the newly erected pro-GM signs were emotion-driven and non-factual.

"As farmers, our priority should be the consumer and meeting their requirements for non-GM food," he said.

Mr Fowler said he had been part of a group to meet with Agriculture Minister Ken Baston over the issue last year, but felt the minister was "naïve to the serious and sinister implications GMs had for farmers and the provision of safe food".

He said he was disappointed the minister did not seem to be open to hearing arguments or evidence against GM cropping.

Mr Fowler, who this year planted 2500ha of non-GM canola, said he effectively controls ryegrass through a phased cropping program which involves using the land for three to four years of pasture as part of the rotation.

Mr Fowler also has land bordering the highway and said he would consider putting up further signs to support the GM-free message in the near future.