Access to essential crop protection tools is becoming more complex for Australian growers, with key chemicals facing tightening regulations and broader market scrutiny. A project by Hort Innovation is for the first time bringing together chemical expertise from regulators, registrants, industry and retailers to better understand the issues and drivers that impact Australian growers.

Crop protection products are critical to the viability and profitability of Australian horticulture, with more than 70 per cent of production value reliant on these tools. However, growers are increasingly facing reduced access due to changing global regulation and policy, and market and community acceptance. This complexity is driving the need for stronger, industry-wide intelligence and planning to help growers anticipate risks and identify alternatives before gaps emerge.

Through this project, Hort Innovation has engaged Applebox Insights to design a new intelligence framework that will help industry better understand where crop protectants are at risk and what solutions may be available.  

This framework will help industry leaders and partners visualise vulnerabilities and identify priority areas for future R&D investment.

Dr Mila Bristow, General Manager of Trade and Biosecurity R&D at Hort Innovation, explained why this work is essential: “Australian growers are operating in an increasingly challenging environment when it comes to accessing the crop protection tools they rely on. This project is about helping the industry stay ahead of those challenges - providing the intelligence needed to anticipate risks earlier, explore alternatives and make more confident investment decisions that support long-term productivity and resilience.”

Keeping growers central to the project, it has kicked off with a co-design workshop to ensure the system reflects real-world challenges on farm.

Simon Andreoli, macadamia grower, Four Winds Plantation said access to effective crop protection tools is essential for managing macadamia orchards and protecting crop quality and yields:

“In macadamias, we’re managing orchards over a long season and often with limited options for some pests and diseases. If key products become restricted or harder to access, that can have a real impact on how we protect our crop, manage quality and control costs. Better visibility of what’s coming, whether that’s risks to existing products or potential new alternatives, will make a big difference in helping growers plan ahead and stay productive.”

By bringing together strategic insight, stakeholder input and advanced data design, the project aims to strengthen the industry’s ability to respond to change and protect productivity. This will be supported by the delivery of a whole of horticulture chemical vulnerability report identifying how products become at risk and where gaps are emerging across the sector.

It marks an important step toward a more coordinated, forward-looking approach to crop protection, helping ensure growers have the tools they need to continue producing high-quality produce for Australian consumers.