WINDHOEK – Recent reports about local maize meal containing genetically-modified organisms (GMO), still being available on local supermarkets shelves have been rubbished by Namib Mills as “outdated information being used to put Namib Mills as the biggest supplier of maize mail products in Namibia in a bad light.”
Koos Ferreira, trade liaison specialist of Namib Mills told New Era yesterday that he was surprised by a media report last week quoting the Namibia Consumer Trust (NCT)’s Executive Director, Michael Gaweseb as saying that despite repeated tests conducted on products, GMO presence has proven to be persistent. The report said the NCT had sent samples of three maize-based products for testing to a lab at the University of the Free State in South Africa in early 2013, and again later in that year. The tests revealed that Ace Instant Porridge contains 57 percent genetically-modified maize, while the popular White Star Maize contains 2.75 percent genetically-modified maize, and Top Score Maize Meal contains over one percent genetically-modified maize. The NCT’s laboratory tests have proven that GMO is not planted, but imported into Namibia.
Ferreira says those test were done in the so-called closed season in early May 2013 after locally produced maize had been milled and the drought was forcing Namib Mills to import milled maize from South Africa, resulting in the low traces of GMO from the imported maize. What those tests proved was the presence of low traces of GMO’s present in the mixed batches of local and imported maize. Nothing more, and nothing less,” he says.
Ferreira also noted that a ‘Stakeholder Workshop on the Review of Biosafety Regulations was in Windhoek held two weeks ago and it transpired there that regulations that were drawn up recently regarding this issue for reviewing had to be sent back to the National Commission on Research, Science and Technology (NCRST), as it contained various mistakes and discrepancies. These must now be reviewed and revised before actual biosafety regulations will be put in place. He says it is sad that results of old test were used to stir the sensitive issue of GMO’s in local maize meal and refuted Gaweseb’s observation that “Namibia’s agricultural policy beneficiaries are quick to point to their South African counterparts as bringing food which contains hormones and GMO, but it seems they too are eager to put these substances in Namibian-produced foodstuffs.” Ferreira denied that GMO maize is planted commercially. Gaweseb says the NCRST should explain the concept of GMO to Namibians without involving non-Namibians so that there can be national consensus on what GMO is. The executive director claimed that it has also come to the NCT’s attention that a few individuals who are opposed to consumer rights play a leading role in the consultative process.
Some of these individuals have argued that the GMO presence threshold as proposed earlier, which was 0.5 percent, should increase to 0.9 per cent. Gaweseb further raised the concern that it is also worrying that the consultation process does not involve all parties, especially ministries such as Health, Trade, Agriculture as well as local authorities and State-owned enterprises (SOEs). The NCRST is further advised to bring together officials responsible for the implementation and monitoring of national policies such as the Fourth National Development Plan, Vision 2030 and the industrialisation policy.