Hort Innovation and AUSVEG update agrichemical roadmap for Australia potato industry

One of Hort Innovation’s core strategic priorities is the regular assessment of agrichemical needs across its levy-paying industries. The Strategic Agrichemical Review Process (SARP) is central to this effort. 

It identifies major pest, disease and weed challenges for each crop, maps available crop-protection tools, evaluates risks to existing use patterns and highlights potential alternatives where gaps exist.

The potato industry SARP was last updated in 2017, and the regulatory landscape has changed considerably since then. Several key chemistries, including dacthal, diazinon and chlorpyrifos, have been withdrawn. Multiple active ingredient reviews are currently underway, and a broader suite of widely used chemistries is now on the APVMA review agenda. 

This evolving regulatory environment makes a timely update essential to reassess priorities and maintain access to modern, effective and compliant agrichemical options for growers.
 

Industry consultation underway

AUSVEG is inviting input from growers, agronomists and other stakeholders on current pest pressures and crop-protection needs in the potato industry. This engagement provides a valuable opportunity to ensure real-world challenges are accurately captured and communicated to those in a position to support solutions.
 

Updated roadmap will guide future investment

The updated SARP will offer a practical roadmap for future investment, supporting access to new chemistry through product registration and maintaining essential tools via Australia’s minor-use permit system. Importantly, SARP reports are not shelf documents. They actively inform industry planning, influence investment decisions and are closely reviewed by registrants, regulators and R&D providers.