Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Greens expose naked GE sheep scheme

Genetically engineered naked sheep, with no wool on them at all, is New
Zealand's latest "mad" biotechnology scheme, the Green Party said today.

Party agriculture spokesperson Ian Ewen-Street, an organic pastoral farmer
based in Marlborough, said the plan has been devised by the Crown Research
Institute AgResearch, at its Lincoln base. The scientist leading the
research, Dr Andy Bray, has said on the AgResearch website he is about to
try to sell the idea to sheep industry leaders, with the aim of producing
large numbers of naked sheep for mainstream agriculture.

"I have to ask our government scientists, is nothing sacred," Mr Ewen-Street
said. "When I first heard of this I thought it was a joke. Next they'll be
trying to engineer dogs which don't bark and cows we can't milk.

"But seriously, there are major questions of animal cruelty involved here,
especially when considering sheep without wool in the middle of winter."

Mr Ewen-Street said the AgResearch scientists were arguing that some farmers
specialising in meat production would prefer to avoid the hassles that wool
somethings brings.

"AgResearch is pitching to farmers using the argument of convenience.
Dagging, crutching and treating for flystrike are all unpleasant jobs, which
could be avoided, the scientists argue, if sheep had no wool.

"There's also the argument that wool isn't fetching much for farmers at
present under New Zealand's radical free market policies."

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

Mr Ewen-Street said the genetic engineering scheme had come out of a major
project funded by the taxpayer, and carried out by AgResearch and Otago
University to build a total "genetic map" of the sheep, with genes then
added or subtracted. Government scientists hoped to produce "designer
sheep", with wool-less meaty sheep for meat farmers, and extra woolly sheep
for wool farmers.

"But the economics of this is greatly outweighed by the damage to our image
overseas from these mad-cap GE schemes. It is absolutely certain that
European consumers will boycott New Zealand produce if we continue along
this route."

Mr Ewen-Street, who is number three on the Greens' party list, will issue
the Green Party agriculture and rural affairs policy to the Press Gallery
today. It will include a call for New Zealand agriculture to be GE-free.

ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.