Questions are being raised about whether the primary sector is being sold short, by being denied a choice on genetically modified organisms.

Treasury Secretary Gabriel Makhlouf has raised the issue in a speech at Fieldays last night.

He says new technologies come along regularly, and while international competitors can have their pick of the bunch, New Zealanders are denied a look-in if anything is genetically modified.

Mr Makhlouf says it's highly restrictive, particularly when some of the plants could give our primary producers a huge advantage .. including high-yielding wood for our pulp and paper industry.