Is the mustard market drop because of EU GM issues?

[charliep]

Kevin will have some answers on the research front. Know activity around developing canola oil type
mustards for brown soil zones.

Likely useless information but note that GMO-Compass refers to Brassica Juncea field trials (whatever
size of plot/field that is) in North America. Someone will correct me but I believe this is oriental
mustard. Europe is doing GM research on Sinapis alba (yellow mustard). Brown mustard is called
Brassica rupestris (used in Dijon mustard). Canada has been able to segregate mustards types from
breeder plots to farm level production to final customer for years. But I guess this is not the point of
the discussion.

[URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brassica"]Brassica types[/URL]

<a href="http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/database/plants/66.mustard.html">gmo-compass</a>

[parsley]

Kevin Hursh, on behalf of mustard growers, is quoted as saying, on the front page of the Western Producer:

"There has never been, to our knowledge, a GMO mustard developed, certainly not in Canada. And we find it hard to believe anything like that has ever been developed anywhere else."


I quickly googled and found two websites that indicate Canada has hosted field trials growing GM mustard, and there will be more.

It's surprising the Saskatchewan Mustard Growers' Commission dosn't even know GM trials were done.

Will we, as farmers, be better decisions makers if we are informed? Are we interested?

The first web site was this:

http://www.gm-inspectorate.gov.uk/documents/ANON-GM_crops_routine_surveillence_Oct-Dec_05_final.pdf

It states:

"During the reporting period there have been 15 notifications for GM mustard (Brassica juncea), mainly in Canada,"

It is a report called "Current Awareness of Experimental and Commercial Releases of GM Crops Worldwide", and there were 15 notifications about mustard in 2005, according to the Quarterly Summary composed by GM InspectorateCentral Science Laboratory, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs,Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ

________________2 in Australia, modified for Herbicide tolerance,

_______________ 12 modified in Canada for tewo traits: Herbicide tolerance, and fertility restoration,

____________ and 1 in the USA for Herbicide tolerance.


12



How can Canadian mustard growers plan ahead for segregation if they don't even know about GM mustard trials?

So I googled again and got this webpage:

mhtml:%7BBF101B35-D3DC-42C0-B614-32475682DE2D%7Dmid://00000102/!x-usc:http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/database/plants/66.mustard.html

This is what it says:

Field Trials with GM Mustard.
EU Applications 3 (Sinapis alba)

Countries Belgien Period 2000-2001 Traits Tolerance to herbicides in combination with male sterility

Worldwide USA 3 (Brassica juncea) Period 2003-2005

other countries Canada (Brassica juncea, Brassica carinata), India

Do Canadian farmers want to know if trial mustards were done? And who's information and WHAT information do we believe?

One point:

If the Mustard Growers' Commission assures its' buyers that NO GM mustard has ever been developed, when it obviously has, folks, what about contamination and the liability? Is financial jeopardy being downloaded on farmers?Isn't this a question that farmers should ask?

And where were the trials? And was seed kept? And who did the trials? You can find out that information, but I would suggest you do your own homework.. Sean Pratt's Western producer obviously didn't google either, and neither did Mr. Dick, when he was checking for his EU buyers.Pars

[charliep]

I have to fess up to a mistake. Brown mustard is Brassica Juncea. Too many names for an old economist.

[ColevilleH2S]

The [URL="http://www.cfia-acia.agr.ca/english/plaveg/bio/dd/dd0873e.shtml#a1"]"GMO" Mustard[/URL] that is being researched in Canada is Clearfield Mustard, which is developed using chemically induced seed mutagenesis. A process that the EU and other hyper sensitive markets do not consider GM in the regular sense of the term. That is why the EU accepts all Clearfield Lentils,Wheat, Sunflowers,etc as non-GMO.

I have to state once again, thanks Pars for driving the "fear and innuendo" wedge between Western Canadian farmers and their customers. Your a great help (not). I hope you are enjoying your 15 minutes.

[parsley]

"There has never been, to our knowledge, a GMO mustard developed, certainly not in Canada. And we find it hard to believe anything like that has ever been developed anywhere else."

That is the mustard growers' position. is it correct or not?

I'm confused. Is there Gm mustard in Canada or not?

If the EU accepts GM mustard readily, as you say they will, then farmers have nothing to fear then, do they?

Mustard was NOT taken off the shelves in EU....Is that what you are saying?

If it was.... Who pays for a player who does not want to be accountable in a value chain? Or does it matter?

I am speaking of important values. Credibility. Accountability.Trust. In the entire value chain. Are you able to grasp what I broach?

From a sales point of view, it is important to find out if the mustard you describe IS or IS NOT genetically modified because it makes a difference to all buyers. Both conventional and organic.

Segregation for example. Are seed growers/cleaners/ contamination centers, or not?

EU Buyer trust is an invaluable asset.

And knowing each farmer participating in the value chain, in a transportation chain, etc, will commit to being forthright, and trustworthy is also invaluable.

I'm asking questions. I did not arrange the sales.

Pars

[ColevilleH2S]

Pars if you are so confused about this issue maybe you should stop blogging about it. Your innuendo laced questions are not adding to anyone's knowledge base, and you are not helping to resolve the matter.

[parsley]

1. There has never been, to our knowledge, a GMO mustard developed, certainly not in Canada. And we find it hard to believe anything like that has ever been developed anywhere else."

That is the mustard growers' position. is it correct or not?

2. This is the Government's webpage.


http://www.cfia-acia.agr.ca/english/plaveg/bio/dd/dd0873e.shtml#a1

Plus 2 other webpages I referred to previously.

Since you seem to think you know, would you like to tell the farmers reading this blog which is correct.
#1 or #2?

Simply mark one or the other. Pars

[ColevilleH2S]

#2. The link provided says that the Canadian government as approved trials of Clearfield Mustard. The Clearfield trait, as derived by mutagenesis, is considered non-GMO to the EU. So both of your choices lead to the same conclusion. There is no GMO Mustard.

Pars, there is no fire for your inflammatory rhetoric to fuel.

[checking]

If that is your criteria my pugilist, then I'll never be your neighbour - sigh! Look for the lump of coal at X-mas.

I'm aware of what Mr. Weber is saying, but I'm to the point of not caring how many of our crops are deemed unsafe and blacklisted by Greenpeace and the EU. Put them all on the list. It could force them to grow all of their own needs leaving them less time to come up with other crap that is bothering them. Wouldn't that be fun?

There are few of us that couldn't meet our needs in other occupations more lucrative than farming.

That's my shot. No lead or liquor in it.

[haveapulse]

While the EU stand on GMO may be quite irrational to those of us who produce
GMO commodities and recognize the ability of technology to assist in many facets of production the aversion of many consummers is real.

Processed mustard is taken off shelves.

11 cargos are on quarantine.

Buyers of raw mustard seed in EU who used to chose Canada first now prefer Ukrainian mustard.

The reality of this EVENT folks is that Canada is loosing credibility as a secure source of flax and now mustard, and from what I see we are doing very little to defend ourselves. We need to tell the EU that we can supply good quality GMO free flax and mustard, and we will have to if we are to maintain this market until such time as the EU change their policy, which we must hope is the final outcome.

The frightning reality we must absorb is that Ukraine used to be thought of as the source of lower quality cheaper supply of mustard and flax to a lesser but growing degree, buyers are now heading there FIRST...

And this is a problem, a long term problem.

And this problem should have necessiate a total review of the regulatory system that let GMO flax enter into the system in the first place.

And yes this should happen yesterday.

In the short term the government should be doing everything they can to insure EU that we have the mechanisms to supply secure non GMO flax and mustard.

For some time I have advocated the need for a DART team to respond to issues like this, I make the comment again.

WE need to be able to as an INDUSTRY urgently respond with necessary actions followed by policy and regulation sooner, not 20 years later.

We are producers we produce food for consummers and this must drive our policy always.

[parsley]

If mustard was rejected in the EU, it presumably could be because it was genetically modified, BUT you claim Clearfield is not a genetic modification, and Clearfield is acceptable in the EU. You also ignore past trials.

It's NOT GM, you state, well, "not in the regular sense of the term", so I'll use your 'term', for the purpose of this reply.

(Those buying organic mustard seed, consider that Clearfield is genetically modified)

Let's also assume that something oddball from GM mustard trials getting mixed up, and also what the CWB coined as "slippage" is not at issue. Agreed?

So, that only leaves us with the another reason likely causing rejection which is Canadian mustard crossing with GM canola, doesn't it?

Would it possibly be this is what is at issue:

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/gmf-agm/appro/ofb-094-325-a-eng.php

A trace of GMO canola testing positive in mustard headed for the EU, as you would know Dave, would be acceptable up to .09

But IF mustard crosses easily with canola, that's where it impacts on organic crops. There is wall to wall canola in the West. Good to question it, isn't it. Just in case.

Organics does business in EU as well as conventional. Pars

Maybe it's time to discuss segregation, would you agree?

Pars

[parsley]

I copied this from my blog as I replied to Dave Kucher's comments there.

It is important for farmers, and I sound redundant, to discuss these issues.

I realize many of you want to shoot the messenger, and I have to say it would be much easier for me to say nothing.

But it IS because I see anticipated sales failed, that I am trying to warn farmers that this can be months before governments sort this out.

We have handed over grain decisions to those who do not suffer from stoppage.

Pars