GRAIN Producers Australia (GPA) has weighed into the debate surrounding the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) ban on the use of the insecticide omethoate in broadacre agriculture.
Chairman of GPA Andrew Weidemann said he had been contacted by many farmers concerned about the ban on in-paddock use of omethoate, although it will remain available for use as a barrier spray.
He said he believes the solution to the loss of omethoate, used to treat mites, such as red legged earth mite and lucerne flea, is to ensure Australian farmers have access to a wide range of insecticide products.
“Australia only has access to a fraction of the miticide chemicals currently available to our competitors in North America,” Mr Weidemann said.
“GPA is actively encouraging the Federal Government to consider policy on how to improve investment in agricultural chemicals,” he said.
“There is still significant commercial opportunity for investment in new chemicals for the control of these major pests and the industry is confident that companies will step up to do this.”
However, he said in the short term a industry-brokered strategy to fill the gap left by the omethoate ban was critical, given the likelihood of mite infestation.
He said stewardship of omethoate use was a key focus for the Australian grains industry.
“Omethoate has not been banned, but certain uses have been restricted,” Mr Weidemann said.
“It will be an industry responsibility to manage the sustainable use of this tool to manage both market and insecticide resistance risks to ensure the industry still has access to this product,” he said.