Assistance Grants – Access to Industry Priority Uses of Agvet Chemicals – Round Three

Overview

The Assistance Grants – Access to Industry Priority Uses of Agvet Chemicals Program, Round Three will run over 2017 – 2018. The program was announced as part of the Improved Access to Agvet Chemicals Initiative (the Initiative). Access to safe and effective agricultural and veterinary (agvet) chemicals is important to Australian agricultural and livestock industries, the community and the environment. Agvet chemicals sold in Australia must be authorised, by registration or permit, with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). The APVMA must also approve the specific uses of every product, based on its assessment of information provided by applicants.  The costs of generating this information for emerging or speciality livestock and crop industries, or new pest species, will often exceed the potential returns for registrants. Larger industries may also face a similar problem when managing uncommon or emerging pests and diseases. These chemical access issues are often referred to collectively as the ‘minor use problem’. The aim of the Initiative is to increase the number of new agvet chemical products and legal uses of existing agvet chemicals available in the Australian market.  The objective of the grants program is to assist with generating of sufficient data to support applications to the APVMA seeking approval for needed agvet chemical uses identified by the most recent collaborative forum on access priorities. The grants program will assist industry to gain or maintain access to the identified priority uses of agvet chemicals. This will help provide short-term relief to producers while longer-term sustainable solutions to access are developed and implemented through the broader reform program mentioned above.