Syngenta to stop selling paraquat in Australia after new safety rules
Syngenta has announced it will stop selling the herbicide paraquat in Australia following new, stricter safety regulations introduced by the national regulator. While the chemical remains available through other suppliers, the move highlights ongoing concerns regarding its toxicity and potential health risks.
Why it matters
The decision reflects a global trend toward tighter regulation of agricultural chemicals due to environmental and public health concerns.
Syngenta’s decision to stop selling paraquat in Australia marks a major shift in the country’s herbicide market. The move comes after the national regulator tightened safety rules on one of the world’s most controversial weed killers, a chemical banned in more than 70 countries and long associated in public debate with Parkinson’s disease.For Australian farmers, the news is not as simple as a ban or a total disappearance. Paraquat will still be available through generic suppliers, but Syngenta’s exit raises bigger questions about product choice, market stability and how growers will adapt to the new rules.Why paraquat is back in the spotlightParaquat has been used in Australian agriculture since 1964, especially in broad-acre cropping such as grains, sugarcane and cotton.
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