Do agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses need to use AgVet chemicals in accordance with the APVMA label + state CUP?

Use AgVet chemicals in accordance with the APVMA label + state CUP. Agricultural and veterinary (agvet) chemicals are regulated in two layers. Up to the point of retail sale, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) registers products and approves their labels under the Agvet Code.

Trigger: Buying, storing, mixing or applying an agvet chemical product; or wanting to use a product in a way, on a crop or animal, or at a rate its label does not allow.

Rules Mate runs its applicability engine across 9 business structures and 6 size bands for each of the 35 industries it maps. For 34 of those industries the answer for "Use AgVet chemicals in accordance with the APVMA label + state CUP" is no. Agriculture, forestry & fishing is one of the 1 where the answer is different: yes.

The deciding fact for agriculture, forestry and fishing businesses: Industry: Agriculture, forestry & fishing.

About the industry: Primary producers covered by the Pastoral Award and biosecurity / chemical use regulation.

Compare a professional services (general) business with 6–19 employees structured as a Pty Ltd company: the obligation does not apply (Requires industry: Agriculture, forestry & fishing).

Each cell is the engine's outcome for a business in agriculture, forestry & fishing with that structure and size, assuming it sells to consumers and small businesses and holds customer contact details. "Check" means the obligation turns on a fact the industry does not settle.

When due

At every use: read and follow the current label or permit. Obtain an APVMA permit before any off-label use. Meet state record-keeping, training and licensing requirements as they apply in the state where the chemical is used.

Evidence to keep

Current product labels and any APVMA permits relied on (checked in the PubCRIS and permits databases); application records (date, product, rate, area, operator, weather) as required by the state; operator training or licence records; equipment calibration logs; incident and spray-drift complaint records.

Maximum penalty

Penalties are set by state and territory control-of-use laws. The APVMA notes that incorrect use contrary to legally binding label directions can lead to fines, litigation and, in some circumstances, criminal prosecution

Regulator

See source

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth (national)

• On-farm biosecurity record-keeping + reporting: Yes
• EPBC Act — assess + approve controlled actions affecting MNES: Only if
• Food and Grocery Code of Conduct (now mandatory): Only if
• Maintain Hazardous Chemicals Register + manifest (WHS Reg): Yes
• Notify + remediate contaminated land (state): Only if
• Animal Welfare Standards + Guidelines — Land Transport of Livestock: Only if
• All 15 answers for agriculture, forestry & fishing