Fertiliser industry urges farmers to get accreditation
Date:08-02-2012
The head of the Australian Fertiliser Services Association has issued a warning that the fertiliser industry risks losing self regulation if more farmers don't sign up to fertiliser accreditation.
Wes Wheelhouse says the national environmental stewardship program Fertcare was introduced to minimise the environmental impact of the fertiliser industry.
While the bulk of fertiliser companies and service providers have signed up, targets for farmer adoption are well short.
Mr Wheelhouse says it's in the interests of farmers to convince the community they are implementing industry best practice.
"If you look around the world what's happened in a number of other countries in their agricultural industry, there's been precedent set where nutrient regulation and nutrient monitoring has ultimately come in.
"So it's really in the interests of the industry, not only us as service providers, but also for farmers to have some sort of self-regulation model in place."
Mr Wheelhouse says potential hotspots across Australia including the Great Barrier Reef, the Murray-Darling, WA's Swan River and Victoria's Gippsland Lakes.
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