Agsafe partners with Dow AgroSciences

Date:12-14-2015

Distributors of Dow AgroSciences' crop protection products can now use the company's leading Online Learning Centre to maintain their Agsafe industry training obligations while furthering their knowledge of Dow AgroSciences’ products. 

Agsafe is a non-profit independent subsidiary of CropLife Australia, the national association for the Australian plant science industry, and is the industry leading body in Australia for ensuring the safe, effective and legal use of agricultural chemicals. 

In 2013, Agsafe introduced a training points system so members could maintain their accreditation with a wider choice of training options. Agsafe has recently reviewed the Dow AgroSciences online learning courses and determined that they meet the requirements of the Agsafe program. This gives distributors the opportunity to simultaneously achieve their Agsafe re-accreditation while expanding their knowledge on Dow AgroSciences’ crop protection products. This represents a significant time saving, according to Sarah Russell French, Dow AgroSciences ANZ Product Stewardship Leader. 

“We understand the demands on rural resellers, so having online courses that the store staff and agronomists can take at their own pace when it suits them is an invaluable advantage” Sarah said. 

Selected courses have each been allocated 25 re-accreditation points, so four e-learning courses will earn enough points to replace the 100 points that expire each year. 
Those who have already completed courses from the Online Learning Centre in 2015 can claim them as part of their 100 points, as courses can be redeemed up for up to 12 months, Any courses completed in 2014 or earlier may be re-done to receive a current certificate. 

The free courses are available for all distribution staff, and cover the company's range of crop protection products, including a course on Dow AgroSciences’ brand new multiple mode of action herbicide for broadleaf control in winter cereals, Paradigm™ Arylex™ active. 

Frances Cameron from AgSafe says the partnership recognises Dow AgroSciences' reputation for product stewardship as well as making it easier for the industry to ensure the responsible and sustainable management of products throughout their life cycle. 

“Safety is the number one priority of our accredited members, and rightly so. Identifying and implementing safe practices is the responsibility of everyone in the industry and we’re proud to partner with Dow AgroSciences to provide recognition for their high quality training programmes.” 

Dow AgroSciences’ Sarah Russell French agrees that safety is a shared responsibility in agribusiness and says that distributor training is an important element of that.

“The online training furthers our distributors' knowledge of our product range and how to use them appropriately,” Sarah said. “This in turn benefits them and their customers, as they're able to ensure that they get the best possible results when using our products.”