Australia:GPA lobbies on spray drift

Date:04-14-2011

GRAIN Producers Australia has waded into the spray drift issue, calling for ‘sensible’ regulations.

The organisation is responding to a change in regulations proposed by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicine Authority (APVMA), the government body in charge of regulating pesticide use.

GPA Southern director Andrew Weidemann said unrealistic buffer zones could be implemented which vastly cut down farmers’ herbicide options.

“There is the risk of buffer zones of up to 800 metres between an area that can be used with (broadleaf herbicide) MCPA or even Roundup," he said.

The APVMA recommendations come about as the authority looks to minimise spray drift.

The proposed regulations include introducing mandatory downwind buffer zones of up to 300m for ground rigs, and more for aerial operators.

GPA chairman Pete Mailler said farmers already had to follow tough drift guidelines.

“It is already illegal to drift chemical off your own farm and the introduction of these extra regulations, based on out of date science, will not improve chemical application management,” he said.

He said buffer zones failed to take into account the skill of the spray rig operator.

“A good operator can get within a metre of their boundary fence with no risk of drift,” he said.

Mr Mailler said the APVMA proposal would cause large-scale economic losses for croppers who would be unable to control weeds effectively if they complied with the buffer zones.

On the other hand, he said others who ignored the zones would be breaking the law.

Mr Weidemann also called for more research into off-label herbicide use.

“One of the things being tabled is no off-label usage of pesticides," he said.

“In some states, there is the ability to use products off-label, as long as we adhere to certain conditions.

“If the new model is adopted, what is on the drum is what we’ll have to do.”

Mr Weidemann said farm lobby groups had to work hard to ensure new chemical laws were not overly onerous on croppers.