Herbicide banned in 70 countries to be pulled from sale in Australia by chemical maker | Herbicides
Syngenta, the maker of a herbal medicine banned in more than 70 countries and linked to Parkinson’s disease, will stop selling paraquat in Australia, saying new regulations make it “commercially unviable”.
The decision to recall the product follows new restrictions on highly toxic chemicals It was announced by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority in June..
Paraquat has been produced by the Swiss company for decades but has long been associated with Parkinson’s disease in users.
It is banned in more than 70 countries and has been banned in the European Union since 2007.
It cannot be used in domestic settings in Australia, but is still widely used in agriculture, particularly on large tracts of land such as grain, sugar cane and cotton. The APVMA assessed that the weight of the evidence does not indicate that exposure to paraquat through approved uses increases the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.
But it has introduced new restrictions on acute exposure and risks to animals.
The company said the decision to recall the products was made following a commercial review conducted in accordance with APVMA rules.
Syngenta ANZ managing director David Van Ryswyk said the company would manage the phase-out of paraquat products in full compliance with the APVMA’s established sales and expiration timelines.
“Regulatory restrictions, combined with a highly complex and increasingly expensive supply chain, have made paraquat herbicide products commercially unviable,” Van Ryswyk said.
The new restrictions on the herbicide called for phasing out backpack sprayers, requiring additional personal protective equipment for users, and setting a much lower maximum application rate per hectare.
At the time of APVMA’s decision, Syngenta said It said the pesticide “does not cause an unacceptable environmental impact” and that regulation would limit its use in a significant number of crop use cases.
The company had planned to continue supplying through a third-party manufacturer but said Friday that new regulations and an increasingly expensive supply chain had made the product unviable.
Generic paraquat products will continue to be available to local farmers.
Last month, Melbourne neurologist Assoc. Dr. Wes Thevathasan told the ABC that there is “global consensus” in his field that exposure to paraquat is linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease.
“There are now numerous epidemiological studies, or real-world exposure studies, that suggest paraquat increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease by approximately threefold,” Thevathasan said.
Cereal Producers Australia spokesman Andrew Weidemann said Syngenta’s decision created uncertainty for local growers.
“His withdrawal leaves some important questions about what happens next,” he said.
“Australia is a relatively small market and decisions like this call future investment into question.
“If companies fail to see sufficient value in protecting crops here, growers will be faced with fewer options and we will also urgently need more tools to manage herbicide resistance.”
