One of Hort Innovation’s key strategic imperatives is to routinely assess the agrichemical needs of its levy-paying industries. The Strategic Agrichemical Review Process (SARP) plays a central role in this work by identifying the major pest, disease and weed challenges for each crop, mapping the crop-protection tools currently available, assessing risks to existing use patterns (including regulatory pressures on certain chemistries) and highlighting potential alternatives where gaps exist.

The potato industry SARP was last updated in 2017, and the landscape has shifted significantly since then. Several key chemistries, including dacthal, diazinon and chlorpyrifos, have since been withdrawn. Multiple active ingredient reviews are currently underway, and an even larger suite of widely used chemistries now sits on the APVMA’s review agenda. This rapidly evolving regulatory environment makes it essential to revisit the SARP, reassess priorities, and ensure growers maintain access to modern, effective and compliant agrichemical options.

AUSVEG is seeking input from growers, agronomists and other stakeholders on the current pest pressures and crop-protection needs of the potato industry. This is a valuable opportunity to contribute directly to the process, ensuring the real-world challenges you face are accurately captured and clearly communicated to those in a position to deliver solutions.

The updated SARP will provide a practical roadmap for future investment — supporting access to new chemistry through product registration and maintaining vital tools via Australia’s minor use permit system. Importantly, the SARP reports are not shelf documents. They actively inform industry planning, influence investment decisions and are closely reviewed by registrants, regulators and R&D providers.

Get involved — we need your input.

Contact:

David Daniels

National Agrichemical Manager, AUSVEG

M 0402 270 554

E david.daniels@ausveg.com.au

The National Agrichemical Management Program is funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable, onion and potato research and development levies and contributions from the Australian Government.