Grain market access and chemical residues

Key points

• Growers need to ensure both pre-harvest and post-harvest chemical applications adhere to the Australian Grain Industry On-farm Stewardship Guide and the Australian Grain Industry Code of Practice.
• Growers should only use registered products and adhere to all label directions including application rates and withholding periods.
• Compliance with an Australian MRL does not guarantee the grain will meet an importing country’s MRL (which may be nil).
• Know your grain destination. When signing contracts, check the importing countries’ MRLs to determine what chemicals are permitted on that crop.
• Trucks or augers that have been used to transport treated seed or fertiliser can be a source of potential contamination. Pay particular attention to storage and transport hygiene.
• Grain samples are collected from from all bulk shipments, container consignments and a range of domestic supplies for chemical residues to ensure it is within MRLs.
• A single MRL violation in one country can lead to punitive measures on all Australian grain exported to that country and damage Australia’s reputation internationally.
• Consequences may include costs awarded against the exporter and/or grower resulting in a lower price per tonne paid for the grain. If repeated violations are detected with one chemical, that chemical may be banned.