THE WEEKLY TIMES | Farmers fear impact of plummeting pesticide applications

Significant decreases in registration application for pesticide and veterinary medicines in Australia has raised concerns of agricultural and chemical industry bodies alike.

The Weekly Times reported that applications by chemical companies had almost halved over the past three years and there were concerns this could affect Australian agriculture's competitiveness if chemical access was restricted.

It outlined that the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), which is Australia's chemical regulator, attributed the slump to year-on-year variation rather than ongoing criticism of regulatory delays.

Grain Producers Australia southern director Andrew Weidemann said the slump was alarming, given “we have been a proving ground for agricultural chemicals in past, but now we’re seeing a huge decline in new actives being brought onto the market”.

A recent GPA survey found 43 per cent of growers ranked access to agricultural chemicals as a top concern.

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