National Farmers Federation President, Hamish McIntyre, responds to questions from Australian Rural & Regional News asked in the light of the pending decision on paraquat by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority and recent media drawing a connection between paraquat and Parkinson’s disease.

ARR.News: What precautions are required now when using paraquat, and how long is it since stronger precautions have been required?  

Hamish McIntyre: Farmers take chemical use very seriously and need to abide by strict label directions and PPE guidelines when using approved products. Paraquat is listed as a Schedule 7 poison which requires chemical use training, accreditation or licensing, storage in a locked room, and PPE typically including respirators, face shields or goggles, elbow-length gloves, and more. Since its introduction into Australia, the technology to use paraquat has also rapidly developed. It is almost entirely used in closed-loop transfer systems to minimise exposure risks, while many farmers use enclosed tractor cabins with air filtration.  

ARR.News: How does paraquat compare with its alternatives, in terms of cost (time, money and yield), effectiveness, safety, environmental impacts?  

Hamish McIntyre: Paraquat (and diquat) are critical to minimum- and no-tillage farming practices, allowing farmers to better manage glyphosate resistance in a variety of weeds. They are also commonly used to get crops ready for harvest (desiccation). Farmers rely on essential chemical products, including paraquat and diquat, to maintain yields and farm sustainably in an increasingly changing, challenging and volatile climate. The chemicals provide cost-effective protection against crop yield losses across Australia. 

It’s important to note that paraquat is just one part of an effective integrated weed management plan. Paraquat is typically used in a targeted ‘double-knock’ strategy with glyphosate, helping to manage glyphosate resistance. 

No single product can replace paraquat. Farmers have to consider a range of options depending on their unique situation, which could include more expensive chemicals like glufosinate and Group 14 herbicides, as well as physical control like tillage. Each of these options come with drawbacks. For example, paraquat helps enable the extensive uptake of minimum- or no-till farming. By minimising soil disturbance, no-till farming helps retain carbon in the soil, reducing the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Conservation tillage and no-till farming practices also reduce the need for heavy machinery, reducing soil compaction, fuel consumption, and emissions. In essence, in addition to protecting crops from yield losses, paraquat and diquat products allow farmers to improve soil health, minimise machinery usage, retain soil moisture, and reduce erosion. That is, farmers use these chemicals to achieve additional and positive environmental impacts and productivity gains.   

ARR.News: If paraquat is banned in Australia, what will be needed to maintain or improve yield here, at a comparable cost?  

Hamish McIntyre: Without viable or effective access to paraquat and diquat products, farmers may be forced to return to traditional tillage to manage weeds and resistance. A widespread return to traditional tillage would remove sustainability dividends, and instead result in comparatively poor soil carbon outcomes and increased erosion. Poor environmental outcomes will impact landholders but also the broader community. Further, compromising farmers’ ability to manage herbicide resistance will have severe consequences for the productivity of Australian agriculture. A tangible reduction in Australia’s agricultural output would have consequences for Australian farm businesses, supply chains and domestic and international consumers. As cost-of-living pressures remain front-of-mind, placing additional pressure on food production is counterintuitive. 

Related stories: When journalism picks a side; The use of paraquat use in Australian agriculture – industry responses; paraquat.