WA Country Hour 4.2.2010

Australia's peak body representing agricultural chemical manufacturers wants the Federal Government to fund research to help fruit and vegetable farmers solve pest and disease problems.

CropLife is a not-for-profit organisation representing 15 companies including Bayer, Dupont, Monsanto, Pioneer and Syngenta.

Chief executive Paula Matthewson believes that if the Government contributed $4 million a year, we could see a big expansion in the value of these so called 'minor crops'.

"The Government in the US puts about $36 million a year into the project."

"They basically work with their producers of agricultural chemicals and their producers of minor crops to work out what is the agricultural sectors priority in terms of getting these minor uses onto labels."

"They work together in putting Government money towards the research to prove that these uses are effective so that farmers can use that use legally."

CropLife Australia represents 15 agricultural chemical manufacturers representing about 85 per cent of agricultural chemical sales in Australia.

We have contacted Federal agriculture minister's office to see if Tony Burke is considering CropLife's request.

So far we've had no response.

Listen to the WA Country Hour interview between Richard Hudson and CropLife Australia CEO, Paula Matthewson here:
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/wa/content/2010/02/s2810519.htm