The National Farmers' Federation welcomes the appointment of the new Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Murray Watt appointed Dr Catherine Ainsworth as the APVMA Board Chair for a four-year term from today. Further, the APVMA Board has appointed Scott Hansen as the new APVMA CEO for a five-year term as of 24 July 2024.
NFF Acting CEO Charlie Thomas said the appointments were welcome recognition of the need for change and progress at the APVMA.
"Both Dr Ainsworth and Mr Hanson are exceptionally qualified, and we're really looking forward to working with them to get the APVMA back on track.
"For too long, Australian farmers have been forced to cop the cost of inefficient application processing and a blow out of statutory timelines for chemical reviews. We simply cannot afford to continue on this path. Farmers need timely access to safe, effective and innovative technologies, it's that simple."
Mr Thomas said access to leading agvet chemicals, like crop protection products and animal medicines, was critical to achieving the agriculture sector's ambition of $100 billion in farmgate output by 2030.
"Slow approvals, permits and reviews mean farmers are missing out on more effective and economical products. This unpins our productivity, sustainability and international competitiveness as a sector.
"We look forward to working with the new leadership in the APVMA to tackle these systemic issues head on, for the benefit of Australian farmers."
