Agricultural Permits
Types of Permits
Agricultural Permits that may be considered by the APVMA are for one of five purposes:
- Minor Use - which apply to situations usually involving low acreage crops, small portions of high acreage crops, or animal species which are not covered by the product label.
- Emergency Use - for situations such as outbreaks of exotic pests or diseases; and
- Research - which allow for chemical products to be used in research trials of varying size for scientific purposes, such as determining the suitability of a product for a new use or generating the data necessary to register the product.
- Export - which allow for the holder to possess and supply an unregistered chemical product or an unapproved active constituent for export purposes only.
- Miscellaneous - Commonly these permits are issued to allow the supply of a particular batch or batches of registered product where the product does not comply with the product specifications, but may be issued for any purpose that would nullify certain offences under sections of the Agvet Code.
Table of Permit types, categories, fees and, timeframes.
Minor Use Permits
There can be significant costs involved in generating the scientific data necessary to support registration of an agricultural or veterinary chemical product. For this reason, registrants often pursue registration of uses that provide greatest return on investment.
There can be many situations however where a chemical product is necessary but the overall market is small or unknown and therefore not of economic interest to the registrant.
These can include:
- use on a speciality crop or animal grown on a small scale;
- infrequent use or where use is restricted to a small percentage of a major crop for the control of a minor pest or disease;
- unusual seasonal conditions requiring a changed method or rate of application or
- emergence of a new crop or livestock species.
Further information on minor use permits.
Emergency Use Permits
Outbreaks of exotic or sporadic pests and diseases typically require immediate action and can often involve the use of chemical treatments to maintain Australia’s or a regions pest or disease free status.
‘Emergency’ refers to an urgent need to control a pest or disease that has just become evident and for which no suitable alternative is available. Situations must be demonstrated as ‘unforeseen’. A lack of planning in controlling a pest or disease or allowing it to proliferate does not constitute an emergency.
Further information on emergency use permits.
Research Permits
Research is necessary to screen new products and their uses and to generate data necessary to support product registration. In these instances the research being undertaken may be illegal through the use of a registered product off-label or involve the use of an unregistered product. Applications for research permits can be considered by the APVMA to allow that research to go ahead.
In some cases, where the research being undertaken is very small such as screening trials, the use may already be automatically covered by a general small scale research permit issued by the APVMA. Details of this permit (PER7250) are available from the Permits search and only research applications falling outside of the scope of this permit require an application.
Further information on research permits.
Export Permits
Export permit applications are made under category 19 and are issued to legalise the possession of an unregistered product or unapproved active for the purposes of export to other countries, or where Australia will be used as a distribution point for products or active constituents manufactured elsewhere in the world. Permits are typically issued to manufacturers, registrants and distributors.
Export permits DO NOT allow supply for the purpose of use within Australia.
Export permits are not a Certificate for Export or a Consent to Import, separate applications must be lodged to obtain these documents.
Further information on export, research and miscellaneous permits.
Miscellaneous Permits
Commonly these permits are issued to allow the supply of a particular batch or batches of registered product where the product does not comply with the product specifications, but may be issued for any purpose that would nullify certain offences under sections of the Agvet Code.
Further information on miscellaneous permits.
Contact
Permits for trial or off-label use of chemicals
Pesticides
Phone: +61 2 6210 4748
Fax: +61 2 6210 4776
email: pesticides@apvma.gov.au