Welcome to the May edition of Infopest News.
In this edition we are celebrating two hard working people in the agvet chemical area, Allan McGann for his service to AgSafe’s programs DrumMUSTER and ChemClear and Chevonne Arrowsmith for her service to Infopest. We also welcome the new users of Infopest that have subscribed to our database since our new-look site was launched in March. We’re glad to welcome you and also welcome back the many subscribers who have renewed their subscription with us. We hope you are enjoying the new look, feel and functionality of Infopest. If you have any feedback on the new site, we’d love to hear from you.
APVMA advises Dicofol product registrations not renewed
APVMA advised that the holders of the last registered dicofol products elected not to renew their registration at the end of FY 2019/20 (see Gazette at https://apvma.gov.au/node/71501).
As a result, the products below are no longer registered under the Agvet Code and have been taken to be issued as a deemed permit which will cease to apply on 30 June 2021.
42264 – David Grays kelthane Miticide – David Gray & Co Pty Limited
47207 – Farmoz Miti-Fol EC Miticide – ADAMA Australia Pty Ltd
CropLife launches new guide to organic, synthetic and biological pesticides
A holder has requested cancellation of their dicofol active constituent approvals, which APVMA have accepted as there are no longer any registered dicofol products. The notice of cancellation appears in the Gazette of 23 March 2021 (https://apvma.gov.au/node/83641).
CropLife recently released the official Australian reference guide for organic, synthetic and biological pesticides. With the technical advice of Dr Rohan Rainbow as the primary author, the guide covers topics such as: pesticide facts, sustainable production, food and nutritional security, environment conservation and much more. To read the guide click here.
Improved access to Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Program
The recent 2021-22 budget announcement included a further $9 million over four years under the Supporting Trade – extend the Improved Access to Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals program to expand access to agricultural and veterinary chemicals. According to the Government, “Increased access to these tools will boost farm productivity, strengthen farmers’ response to pests and diseases, and ensure competitive supply chains.”
In previous years, Growcom facilitated a three-year joint RDC funded project, AgChem Access Priorities Forum to enable industry and chemical registrants an opportunity to review industry pest management priorities and suitable chemical options for addressing them. The outcomes of that forum process fed into the government grants scheme resulting in the awarding of funds for chemical access data generation projects.
The government grants program has already seen 192 grants totaling $11.86 million which have resulted in 41 new permit uses and eight new label uses for minor use agvet chemicals.
To read more about the budget announcement click here.
New biopesticide emergency use permit granted for Fall Armyworm
The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) and chemical registrant, AgBiTech jointly prepared an application to the APVMA for an Emergency Use permit which allows Fawligen to be used on various affected crops against Fall Armyworm. PER90820 was issued by the APVMA 30 March 2021 and is valid to 31 March 2024. The permit can be viewed using Infopest or via the APVMA’s permit search platform.
To read the government’s media release, click here.
20 Year Milestone, AgSafe’s Allan McGann
Agsafe’s stewardship programs drumMUSTER and ChemClear have been under the steady guidance of Allan McGann since 2001. The tireless dedication and commitment of Allan has ensured that these programs continue to remain at the forefront of product stewardship in Australia.
Allan is a strong advocate for providing farmers and agvet chemical holders with a safe and environmentally responsible pathway for their used containers and chemicals. As a farmer himself, Allan knows firsthand the difficulty of removing agricultural waste products from the land and was instrumental in developing a program to ensure there was a better way to remove plastic waste or unwanted chemicals off farms and out of rural communities.
Through his 20 years with AgSafe, Allan has become widely recognised across Australia as the face of drumMUSTER, in reality though, he is the heart and soul of the program. Today, along with countless farmers and agvet chemical users, we thank Allan for his service to Agsafe’s stewardship programs drumMUSTER and ChemClear.
Infopest farewells team member, Chevonne Arrowsmith
After almost a decade with us at Growcom Infopest, following a similar amount of time with the Queensland Government when they produced Infopest, Chevonne Arrowsmith is moving on. Chevonne came to us in 2012 and has been instrumental in the success of Infopest as a product with her keen attention to detail and technical ability being poured into the database. Chevonne is moving on to pursue new challenges and we wish her well. She will be sorely missed from the team.