Federated Farmers has formally abandoned its legal attempt to overturn Hastings official GM Free food producing status.

Pure Hawke’s Bay, a lobby group representing Hawke’s Bay growers, exporters and farmers backed the GM Free plan rules adopted by the Hastings District Council in 2015.

Pure Hawke’s Bay chairman, and sheep and beef farmer Bruno Chambers says it’s a very exciting win after many years of unnecessary battle.

"We have worked for seven years to capture this opportunity for Hastings and the region. Being GM free gives us a competitive advantage to market our high-end agricultural products internationally. Many regions around the world are officially GM Free. Finally we can join them rather than being left in their wake."

Hastings District Council was the first in New Zealand to adopt rules in the local plan to prohibit GM field trials and releases in the district. These rules are now in effect.

"It’s a tribute to the Council, which understood the economic opportunities and how crippling GM contamination could be for our high-value food producers," said Mr Chambers.  . . . .