Authorities have ruled on future use of diazinon

A federal government body has banned diazinon, following a review. These are the implications for livestock farmers.

Sheep producers will no longer have key tools to manage flystrike and lice after authorities cancelled permits for their use.

A review of the use of diazinon by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicine Authority, which began in March this year, garnered just 10 submissions but held its line to ban the use of 15 products.

The ban means none of the cancelled products will be able to be used, even if farmers have them in their possession, after September 10 next year.

Diazinon 800 will be banned from September next year.

In handing down its decision, the APVMA said approval and registration of the 15 products has been cancelled because it was “not satisfied that the active constituents meet the safety criteria”.

It was also “not satisfied that the chemical products’ registrations meet the safety and trade criteria, and is not satisfied that the label approvals meet the labelling criteria”.

WoolProducers Australia chief executive Jo Hall said it was hard to argue against a decision that was based on protecting the health of her growers.

“We did ask that, in light of this potential cancellation, that the APVMA expediate the approval of any new products that could take the place of diazinon but we have had no response to those requests,” Ms Hall said.

“It does mean that we have lost a tool in our toolbox for animal welfare, and to lose any tool is a concern.”

There were just 10 submissions to the review, including one from WPA, but the APVMA said nothing in those submissions had convinced it to change its initial ruling to stop the use of some diazinon products.

In its technical report, the APVMA said that several submissions had stressed the importance of diazinon in veterinary products to control biting insects in livestock: blowflies in sheep and buffalo fly in cattle.

Producers will no longer be able to use diazinon to treat flystrike.

“These submissions noted that a limited number of products are registered for control of biting insects … and asserted that it if the APVMA cancels the registration of diazinon products used for these purposes, resistance to other chemicals registered for control of these pests may develop more quickly,” the report said.

The submissions supporting diazinon-based products requested an extended phase out period but this was rejected by the APVMA.

“It is not the APVMA’s role to identify chemicals that may be used to control a pest, or to carry out research to support existing chemical products,” the technical report said.

“It remains open to industry peak bodies or (product) holders to commission studies that may be able to address the concerns identified in the diazinon review technical report.”

The APVMA said the AgVet Code had a maximum duration of one year for “possession, custody and use in event of cancellation of a product’s registration”.

Products that will be prohibited are:

– WSD Diazinon for sheep, cattle, goats and pigs

– WSD Fly Strike Powder to control flystrike and for wound dressing for animals

– WSD mulesing powder, wound dressing following mules operation, general wound dressing for sheep, cattle and goats

– Coopers fly strike powder insecticide

– Y-Tex Optimizer insecticidal ear tags (two licences)

– Eureka Gold Op spray-on off-shears sheep lice treatment

– Patriot insecticide cattle ear tags

– Coopers diazinon sheep blowfly dressing and cattle, goat and pig spray

– Nucidol Gold Op spray-on off shears sheep lice treatment

– Coopers Erase Gold spray-on off shears sheep lice treatment

– Coopers Gold Spray On off sheep lice treatment

– Imtrade Diazinon 800 EC insecticide

– Diazinon

– BFD Blowfly dressing