BY DAVID DANIELS
NATIONAL AGRICHEMICAL MANAGER, AUSVEG

It’s no secret that growers across Australia are facing increasing pressures when it comes to crop protection. Active ingredients are being reviewed and withdrawn faster than they are being replaced, international maximum residue limits (MRLs) are tightening, and the cost of new chemistry is rising. At the same time, pests are becoming more difficult to control and the expectations on industry to demonstrate sustainable and responsible chemical use have never been higher.

To help navigate these challenges, AUSVEG has partnered with Hort Innovation, using the vegetable, onion and potato research and development levies, with matching funds from the Australian Government to deliver a new initiative — Project MT24023 National Agrichemical Management Program. While the project is still in its early stages, the direction is clear — to protect the production base by safeguarding access to the crop protection tools needed to keep our industry profitable, sustainable and competitive.

A coordinated national effort

Over the years, many industry participants have worked independently to address agrichemical issues. The new program aims to bring the relevant players together under a single program to unite growers, agronomists, resellers, researchers, registrants, Hort Innovation, the APVMA and other government agencies around a single goal — to ensure access to modern, safe, effective, and economically viable chemistry for Australian vegetable, potato and onion businesses.

It’s a big task, but it’s one the industry can’t afford to put off. As older active ingredients come under review and new actives take longer (and cost more) to register, we risk losing the ability to protect crops against pests, weeds and diseases that threaten both yield and quality. That’s why this program is being built as both a watchtower and a bridge — monitoring regulatory changes, identifying threats to current use patterns, and building the scientific, technical, and industry connections needed to resolve them.

What we’re setting out to achieve

The program has several overarching objectives:

1. Build industry capability through better information flow so growers and agronomists are well informed about upcoming regulatory changes, residue risks, and potential loss of chemistry. The key is to start developing solutions well before those losses occur.
2. Protect the current toolbox where possible, by identifying threats to current approvals and developing technical packages and regulatory submissions to defend the use of chemistry and keep those tools available.
3. Prepare for the future by communicating the needs of the sector to the chemical companies, researchers and other solution providers to identify and introduce new actives that suit Australian crops and conditions.

Building a strong foundation through a systematic approach

Our approach to addressing the multitude of challenges will be to give every enquiry the respect it deserves. We’ll listen carefully, consider each idea, and do our best to find practical ways to help. However, with responsibility for more than 50 crops, a scattergun approach would quickly become unworkable. To make meaningful progress, we do need to be strategic and methodical.

Our first task is to understand the major pest challenges and the chemistries currently being used to manage them. From there, we’ll assess the threats to existing use patterns, such as upcoming APVMA reviews, and identify potential replacement options. Naturally, this process will uncover thousands of possible issues and opportunities, so careful prioritisation will be essential. The aim is to focus our efforts where they can deliver the greatest long-term benefit for the industry. The process will rely heavily upon input from key industry players to achieve consensus on the priorities.

To achieve that, we are establishing strong connection to industry through an Agri-chemical Reference Group. The group will bring together representatives from across the vegetable, onion and potato sectors, Regional Development Officers, agronomists, researchers, and Hort Innovation. This group guide the program’s steering wheel — helping to prioritise issues, validate field intelligence, and make sure the program’s work aligns with grower needs.

At the same time, we’ll be working closely with Hort Innovation to revise and update the Strategic Agrichemical Review Process (SARP) reports to ensure they remain accurate and relevant. The SARP reports are an invaluable reference, summarising the crop protection needs for every crop across the sector. However, they can be quite extensive and sometimes overwhelming.

That’s where the Agrichemical Reference Group will play a vital role—helping to guide the next iteration of the SARPs and identify the ‘big-ticket’ issues that warrant the greatest attention. It will also be important to distil these reports into a more concise and accessible format, making them easier for agrichemical companies and technology providers to engage with. By simplifying and sharpening the focus, we can better connect industry priorities with those capable of delivering practical solutions.

Early issues already emerging

Even at this early stage, several themes are crystal clear. Growers have deep concerns about the recent loss of herbicides such as dacthal and the ongoing reviews of diquat and paraquat. These are cornerstone products for many vegetable systems, particularly pre-emergent and knockdown applications. Fumigants, too, are under increasing scrutiny, leaving gaps in soil-borne disease and weed control.

We’re also seeing growing uncertainty around several insecticides recently coming under the hammer, particularly older actives such as chlorpyrifos and diazinon.

Although some alternatives are available, their cost and spectrum of control often fall short of what growers need in practice. Many of the widely used fungicides, including mancozeb and chlorothalonil are also attracting regulatory scrutiny and are scheduled for review in the next couple of years.

And beyond chemistry itself, residue compliance remains a top concern. Each export market has its own MRL standards, and when those differ from Australia’s, it can place growers at risk even when products are used correctly and legally here at home.

Playing the long game

It’s important to recognise that agrichemical management isn’t a quick-fix exercise. While the program will certainly help industry with short-term solutions such as minor use permits to fill temporary gaps, our real focus is on long-term stability. Permits are an invaluable tool, but they’re not a permanent one. They give industry breathing space, allowing growers to maintain control options while we gather the data and evidence required for more durable outcomes.

The goal is always to transition from temporary permits to full label registrations, supported by robust residue, safety and efficacy data. In other words, we’re playing the long game, aiming to protect access today while laying the scientific and regulatory foundations that will stand the test of time.

From data to action

Collecting data to support regulatory approvals is quite a challenge and there is no single way forward. When a data gap is identified, the program works with stakeholders to determine the best pathway to address it. In some cases, this involves a thorough review of existing information to examine what data may already be available in the scientific literature or held by registrants — we will leave no stone unturned. In other cases, it may require coordinating new residue or efficacy trials to support a permit, or negotiating directly with registrants to expand a label claim. And when pest or disease threats escalate unexpectedly, we may also need to support an emergency use permit to give growers temporary access to critical tools.

This approach allows us to respond quickly to grower needs while still keeping sight of the bigger picture. Each short-term solution should be a stepping stone toward a long-term, sustainable outcome—one that doesn’t rely on a patchwork of temporary fixes but on a solid, forward-looking framework for crop protection.

Collaboration is key

What’s different about this program is that it’s not just about regulatory paperwork — it’s about building connections across the entire crop protection ecosystem. At the early stages we have been engaging closely with VegNET and PotatoLink RDOs, who are our eyes and ears in each region. Their on-ground connections help ensure the program’s priorities reflect real-world conditions. Through the RDOs we have already been connected with some strong contributors and we look forward to further developing our network. We’re also cultivating productive relationships with the chemical companies, from major multinationals to post-patent suppliers, to better understand their global discovery pipelines and opportunities to bring new products to Australia or expand the uses for current registered products.

Importantly, the program isn’t working in isolation. We’re aligning our efforts with other R&D initiatives, whether it’s pest and disease management projects, biosecurity research and extension, or sustainability programs, to make sure agrichemical access supports the broader direction of Australian horticulture.

By keeping these partnerships strong, we can move beyond reactive problem-solving toward proactive planning — helping industry anticipate challenges and shape the regulatory environment, rather than just responding to it.

A balancing act between safety, efficacy, and market access

One of the ongoing challenges in agrichemical management is balancing grower needs with community expectations, regulatory standards, and export requirements. Consumers want safe food, markets demand compliance, and growers need effective, affordable tools. That’s why transparency and communication are so central to this program. We’re committed to sharing updates through industry channels such as the AUSVEG Weekly Update, technical bulletins, regional workshops and direct grower communications. The aim is to make agrichemical information clear, accessible and actionable—so that growers can make informed decisions that protect both their crops and their market access.

The role of Hort Innovation

None of this would be possible without the leadership and investment of Hort Innovation. The decision to fund the National Agrichemical Management Program reflects a clear understanding that crop protection is a foundational issue. It underpins productivity, quality, and export confidence across the entire horticultural supply chain. By supporting this work, Hort Innovation is ensuring that levy funds are being invested in practical, high-impact outcomes that directly benefit growers.

It’s not just about solving problems today — it’s about preparing the industry for tomorrow.

Looking ahead

We’re only 90 days in, but the momentum is strong. The network is growing, the major issues are being identified, and the pathways for regulatory engagement are being built. Over the coming months, the focus will turn to developing the first set of priority crop protection issues for action, backed by data, supported by stakeholders, and aligned with industry needs.

And as we do that, we’ll keep our eyes firmly on the horizon. While permits and interim solutions will always play an important role, they’re not the destination —they’re part of the journey toward a more secure and sustainable future for Australian horticulture.

With support from Hort Innovation and strong collaboration across
the sector, the National Agri-chemical Management Program is laying that foundation. A foundation where Australian growers continue to have the tools, knowledge, and confidence to protect their crops, their livelihoods, and their markets.

FIND OUT MORE
For more information or to get involved, contact david.daniels@ausveg.com.au