The Albanese Labor Government is investing over $13 million to support access to effective and safe agricultural and veterinary chemicals.
The funding is split between two initiatives: an extension to the Improved Access to Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals program, and providing one-off funding to supplement the Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority's (APVMA's) cost-recovered funding.
The Improved Access to Agvet Chemicals program has been supporting growers, producers and the chemical industry access to critical agvet chemical products for 11 years.
The program has demonstrated great returns on investment, with an ABARES report from 2020 showing a return of $117 for every grant dollar spent.
To date, the program has assisted with 45 new permits and 21 additional uses for existing products.
By extending the program for another four years, with an additional $8.1 million, the Government is helping Australian farmers continue to produce food for Australia and the world.
In the recent Detailed Response to the Rapid Evaluation of the APVMA, the Government committed to developing a sustainable funding model.
Following detailed consultations about the APVMA's Cost Recovery Implementation Statement, the Government has decided to maintain many of the existing fees and levies while work on a sustainable funding model commences.
An additional $5.2 million of one-off funding for the APVMA will complement an increase in cost recovered product registration renewal fees. This will provide a balanced budget for the regulator in the 2025-2026 year.
