- Location
- Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Scottish decision on GM could split UK into production regions with separate status.
Am I right in thinking the UK could face internal restrictions on the movement of cereals and other agricultural products if the Scottish Government confirms its intention to ban the production of GM crops within Scotland's borders?
The move contradicts the Westminster view which is that research into GM production and its eventual deployment in commercial agriculture should be encouraged.
Scientists have said it is irrational and Scottish farmers are already angry because they fear they will no longer be able to take advantage of GM led biotechnology and do not want their businesses to become uncompetitive.
Nevertheless the Scottish Government insists a GM ban will protect the clean green image of the £14 billion of food produced in Scotland each year and safeguard future sales.
Does this mean the Scotland can expect to become a GM-free zone which will be protected by bans on the movement of any food item with GM connections across the Scottish border?
If this turns out to be the case it would surely mean that GM crops eventually expected to be grown in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland could not be sold to Scottish businesses.
Which in turn would mean that animal feed deliveries into Scotland would be limited to consignments that were certified GM free.
Problems might also be created if food producing animals sold into Scotland for further feeding or slaughter may have had access to GM feed.
A ban on GM production within Scotland would have no immediate impact because the only GM crop currently approved for sale within the EU is an insect resistant maize which is not suited to Scottish conditions.
However its potato growers are already lamenting the likelihood they will not be able to take advantage of the blight-free GM varieties that are being developed.
And many longstanding commercial connections at arable and livestock levels elsewhere in the UK may have to be severed if an internal ban on GM production evolved into Scotland becoming a GM-free zone.
(Robert Forster produces a weekly Beef Industry Newsletter. It can be found on the www.rforster.com website and contains the most informed, and most reliable, prime cattle price forecasts available in the UK. Access is by subscription only. If TFF members email [email protected] they can be sent a complimentary copy of the latest issue.)
Am I right in thinking the UK could face internal restrictions on the movement of cereals and other agricultural products if the Scottish Government confirms its intention to ban the production of GM crops within Scotland's borders?
The move contradicts the Westminster view which is that research into GM production and its eventual deployment in commercial agriculture should be encouraged.
Scientists have said it is irrational and Scottish farmers are already angry because they fear they will no longer be able to take advantage of GM led biotechnology and do not want their businesses to become uncompetitive.
Nevertheless the Scottish Government insists a GM ban will protect the clean green image of the £14 billion of food produced in Scotland each year and safeguard future sales.
Does this mean the Scotland can expect to become a GM-free zone which will be protected by bans on the movement of any food item with GM connections across the Scottish border?
If this turns out to be the case it would surely mean that GM crops eventually expected to be grown in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland could not be sold to Scottish businesses.
Which in turn would mean that animal feed deliveries into Scotland would be limited to consignments that were certified GM free.
Problems might also be created if food producing animals sold into Scotland for further feeding or slaughter may have had access to GM feed.
A ban on GM production within Scotland would have no immediate impact because the only GM crop currently approved for sale within the EU is an insect resistant maize which is not suited to Scottish conditions.
However its potato growers are already lamenting the likelihood they will not be able to take advantage of the blight-free GM varieties that are being developed.
And many longstanding commercial connections at arable and livestock levels elsewhere in the UK may have to be severed if an internal ban on GM production evolved into Scotland becoming a GM-free zone.
(Robert Forster produces a weekly Beef Industry Newsletter. It can be found on the www.rforster.com website and contains the most informed, and most reliable, prime cattle price forecasts available in the UK. Access is by subscription only. If TFF members email [email protected] they can be sent a complimentary copy of the latest issue.)