Wrightson calls end to GE research

By KEVIN TAYLOR

Wrightson has halted investment in genetic research because of the uncertain political environment over genetic engineering - while overseas competitors forge ahead.

Wrightson Group managing director Allan Freeth said the company finalised its decision to suspend investment in genetic research just before last month's election.

Labour plans not to extend the two-year moratorium on commercial release of GE products beyond October next year, but it will still hurt the biotechnology industry.

Freeth said Wrightson was a good example of the impact the ban was having.

The company had spent $2.5 million in the past two years on gene research, but this year only $600,000 to $800,000 would be spent - and all on protecting and strengthening the patents it already holds.

"We had a number of science plans that we were looking at, in regards to taking the developments that we have found further," Freeth said.

"We have made a very explicit decision not to invest in those developments and simply focus on expenditure required to secure our intellectual property position."

The suspended research was on developing better grasses through GE or looking at the potential for transferring genetic traits between species, like frost and disease resistance.

"Some of the gene systems we've found have a possibility of going into maizes or wheat or rice," Freeth said.

"And while there's uncertainty whether those can be commercialised in the New Zealand context, there's no way you can invest in that area."

He said the flow-on effect would be significant to both Wrightson's other research activities and half-owned Genesis Research and Development.

But he said some research would continue, like unlocking the genetic systems involved in its animal-friendly grasses.

"We are going to try and use some of our [existing] findings to improve our traditional plant-breeding techniques and to develop new products."

Freeth said traditional biotechnology techniques could be used without producing a genetically modified organism.

"The lifecycle to bring a new grass to market is seven to 10 years," Freeth said.

"We can continue to investigate the gene systems we have, but the quantum leap that we may have been looking for, we are just simply not prepared to invest in that at the moment."

Freeth said he knew overseas institutions did not want to invest in New Zealand biotechnology.

The country was also losing young scientists overseas.

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