![Fertiliser users are being urged to insist upon a label with their purchase. Photo by Gregor Heard. Fertiliser users are being urged to insist upon a label with their purchase. Photo by Gregor Heard.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/5Q2j7ezUfQBfUJsaqK3gfB/b83d02f7-82d9-4254-a180-c312dae0ce5a.JPG/r0_307_6000_3694_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Fertiliser users are being reminded to insist upon a labelled product.
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Stephen Annells, Fertilizer Australia, said with COVID-19 altering supply chains many fertiliser buyers, especially in the bagged sector used predominately in horticulture, had struck up deals with new suppliers and that the product had not always met with Australian standards.
"This could range from issues with the quality of the product itself or its labelling, which is a requirement under Australian regulations," Mr Annells said.
He highlighted horror stories from recent years, ranging from product with cadmium levels far exceeding the maximum permissible concentration for use in Australia to another where the "fertiliser" ended up being simply soil.
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"Buying a product with a label does not eliminate these risks but it does lower them substantially," he said.
He said Fertilizer Australia was running a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of fertiliser labelling.
"There are a range of potential consequences when buying unlabelled product, so our advice is either to source products from Fertilizer Australia members, who have to comply with our code of conduct, or if not, ensure you ask for the label."
He said the changing landscape in the fertiliser industry meant product was arriving without required documentation.
"This is not necessarily a wilful attempt to bend the rules it could be that companies do not necessarily know what is required, but it is something that is necessary to sell fertiliser products in Australia."
So far he said Fertilizer Australia had been made aware of consignments arriving with no labels, some without safety data sheets or certificates of analysis, demonstrating customers were getting the product they had paid for.
He said much of the regulation of products was to do with the fact some products are scheduled poisons or hazardous substances.
"The danger of incorrect or no labelling is particularly concerning for the horticultural industry, as some fertilisers can contain impurities that risk plant health, human health, and food safety, such as those products with high cadmium levels," said Mr Annells.
He said farmers also needed to be sure of the provenance of their product for traceability purposes.
"In horticulture, fertiliser labels also aid traceability, a requirement of quality assurance schemes such as Freshcare."
"Our goal over the next 12 months is to inform growers, advisors and fertiliser retailers about what information should be on a label and the consequences to themselves, their staff, their produce and their land, of not knowing what's in the fertiliser."
"To help guide industry best practice, we have worked closely with Australian states to develop the National Code of Practice for Fertiliser Description and Labelling, which is available on the Fertilizer Australia website."
Mr Annells said due to the volumes involved, the issues were less pronounced in broadacre cropping compared to the horticulture sector.