Summerfruit Australia call for gradual phase-out of Fenthion
The Senate committee has been investigating the outcomes of the APVMA review of the chemical Fenthion and its use by fruit fly affected industries.
Should the final outcome of the review of Fenthion result in its loss as a fruitfly control option for Australian stonefruit producers, Summerfruit Australia is calling on the Senate Committee to recommend a gradual phase-‐out over 2-3 years giving producers time to tune the alternatives to their micro-climate and their battle with endemic fruit fly situations.
This course of action will give producers the ability to grow a crop in the short term and deliver a clear pathway for adjustment.
The Summerfruit Industry has and is urging all producers to look to alternatives and continued R&D investment in suitable alternatives is ongoing.
Combating fruit fly is costing millions of dollars and a phase-out will be an important component of a sustainable future.
Industry leaders are working towards a Fenthion free future and are regularly attending workshops for alternatives and exhorting producers to attend field days offering alternative solutions.
The industry believes that through the adoption of suitable mitigation measures the areas of concern identified in the fenthion draft report can be sufficiently managed to allow a managed phase-out of its use in Summerfruit.
Andrew Finlay
Summerfruit Australia Ltd
www.summerfruit.com.au