Production

Ag pest and disease chemical resistance top priority for new RIRDC forum

Beef Central, 17/07/2015

THE Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation has today launched the AgVet Technology Priority List in a bid to address farm productivity issues caused by growing resistance to agricultural pesticides and vet chemicals.

The Priority List is the first outcome of the AgVet Collaborative Forum established in June, through RIRDC’s National Rural Issues program, with Department of Agriculture support, to identify solutions to key weed, pest and disease challenges through improved access to ag veterinary technologies.

Don McConnel injectingIn an Australian first, the forum facilitated a direct, formal discussion between AgVet technology users and the businesses producing them.

Released today on RIRDC’s website, the priority list aims to highlight business opportunities for AgVet companies by providing direction on industry needs and a process to identify potential partnerships and co-investment opportunities with industry.

“The AgVet Technology Priority List is a groundbreaking advancement that aims to build a pool of more robust AgVet technologies to help drive a sustainable and productive future for Australian agriculture,” RIRDC managing director Craig Burns said.

“Significantly, plant and animal industry representatives and chemical companies came together for the first time through the Forum and identified solutions to a high proportion of previously unsolvable issues. For example, of the one third of the crop/pest priorities submitted by the plant industries that had no solution, over half of these now have solutions,” he said.

“In addition, all issues raised by the animal industries had a solution identified. In particular, access to anaesthetic technology for improving animal welfare has been listed as a high priority as a result.”

While pest and disease chemical resistance has long been an issue for Australia’s cropping and livestock sectors, new and emerging industries also face a lack of adequate AgVet technologies, with these challenges expected to significantly increase within the next decade.

“This issue is exacerbated by a lack of investment incentive for Agvet chemical registrants, meaning many Australian producers do not have the same level of access to pesticides as their competitors,” Mr Burns said.

“For example, Californian wine producers can access double the range of fungicides accessible to Australian producers.”

Australia represents less than three percent of the global crop pesticide market and less than 1.5pc of the broader global AgVet market. Given the relatively small market size and high regulatory costs for chemical registration, the case for commercial investment is not always strong.

“But access to a wider range of appropriate AgVet technologies will give Australian producers a broader suite of solutions to assist them in producing clean, healthy food in a sustainable manner. The benefits flow beyond the farm gate to improved environmental, animal welfare and food quality outcomes,” Mr Burns said.

The AgVet Technology Priority List has been welcomed by the broader agricultural industry.

Chair of the National Farmers Federation’s AgVet Chemicals Taskforce, Reg Kidd, said collaboration was key to achieving the efficiency and effectiveness of agricultural chemical reforms.

“The Forum provides a process for stocktaking where we are: the good, bad and ugly,” Mr Kidd said. “It is about where we want to be collectively for all industry partners. It’s pleasing to see all relevant players are now working together strategically to provide a united voice to the relevant authorities, government and politicians.”

Click here to access more information about RIRDC’s new AgVet Technology Priority List and Collaborative Forum

 

Source: RIRDC

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  1. Sandra Baxendell, 17/07/2015

    The Click here link did not work for me . Goats, especially dairy goats need access to veterinary chemicals as most cannot be used due to lack of residue data. One solution is to allow non-Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) residue data generated by Universities and government labs to be used. GLP labs are very few and very expensive. and booked up for major livestock species trails

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