FARMING industry leaders have given a mixed reaction after Members of the European Parliament voted in favour of a draft report which would allow European Union member states to ban GM (genetically modified) planting according to non-scientific reasons, including as socio-economic factors.

UK farming unions had urged UK MEPs to vote against French MEP Corinne Lepages’s draft report “2010/0208 (COD) the possibility for member states to restrict or prohibit the cultivation of GMOs in their territory” at the Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday.

NFU Scotland’s combinable crops policy manager Peter Logie said: “For the European Parliament to adopt this report is worrying.

“MEPs are paving the way for a law which invites national governments to look to science for the facts and then ignore them in favour of emotional argument.

“The EU Commission has struggled to reach any kind of agreement on GM cultivation between EU member states, hence the intention to leave decisions to national governments themselves.

“While this is understandable, the effects could be damaging for EU farmers, scientists and consumers as markets are distorted and the EU’s competitiveness is obstructed.”

SNP MEP Alyn Smith, whose party is opposed to planting GM crops in Scotland, was uneasy on the “EU GM fudge” and said: “While supporting the final compromise package, I have grave reservations over the direction of travel of the EU as a whole on GM and only supported today’s vote on the grounds that the alternative – the Commission’s original proposal – would have been far less legally clear and continued the unworkable status quo.”

LibDem MEP for Scotland George Lyon welcomed the decision.

He said: “This is an important step on the road to giving member states the decision making powers to decide their own path on GM.”

WALLETS Marts sold 1249 prime lambs in Castle Douglas on Tuesday to a top of £95 per head and 226.2p per kg to average 197.3p.

A small show of 30 cast ewes sold to £130 for Texels and averaged £95.

Craig Wilson sold 31 prime heifers at Ayr on Tuesday to a top of 200p per kg and an average of 188.8p, while 11 prime bullocks peaked at 213p and levelled at 184.8p. Nine young bulls sold to 186.5p and averaged 180.3p.

In the rough ring the 176 cast cows and bulls forward saw beef cows averaging 131.5p, while dairy cows levelled at 106.8p.

There were also 259 beef breeding cattle forward when a mixed show for quality met a slightly easier trade.

The firm also sold 1194 prime lambs in Newton Stewart yesterday to a top of £98 per head and 220.1p per kg to average 201.5p (-3.9p on the week).

The 87 cast sheep forward sold at extreme rates with Texel ewes topping the sale at £137 and Blackfaces to £70.50.

United Auctions sold 299 store bullocks at Stirling yesterday to a top of 205p and an average of 174.7 (+3p), while 49 store heifers peaked at 193p and levelled at 170.2p (+4.2p).

In the rough ring 124 cast cows averaged 128.2p.