12 August 2025
12 August 2025 (Brisbane) – CropLife Australia’s Chief Executive Officer, Matthew Cossey,
today, urged the Federal Government to act immediately to implement measures that will
assist the Australian agricultural sector to lift its productivity.
Speaking today at the Agricultural Productivity Roundtable convened by Minister Collins and
Assistant Minister Chisholm in Brisbane, Mr Cossey said the meeting is a welcome opportunity;
however, it should not be used as an excuse for delaying actions that can be taken by the
Government now.
“We already know that innovation has been at the core of productivity revolutions throughout
the history of Australian agriculture. Yet we’ve seen a two-speed agricultural economy emerge
between sectors that have access to and adopt new innovations and science-based practices
and those who don’t,” Mr Cossey said.
“Innovators in crop protection and new seed breeding innovations face growing delays and
uncertainty in gaining new product approvals. This makes it harder to bring new technologies
to Australian farmers, with our small market. This means returns for companies are often
marginal, with some choosing to take their R&D and innovations elsewhere.
“Already global innovator companies are publicly stating they are pulling back from investment
in local R&D and commercialisation activity in New Zealand, citing the crippling costs of delay
and regulatory burden.
“Without urgent reform, Australia risks being next, leaving Australian farmers waiting years for
tools that are already available overseas. That gap is a drag on our agricultural productivity
that will only get wider without decisive action from government.
“Today I raised at the ag productivity roundtable, the importance of incentivising innovation
which comes at no cost to the Federal Government’s Budget. Failing to do so will cost the
economy and Australians far more in the long run,” said Mr Cossey.
CropLife’s key suggested policy initiatives are:
1. Restore the APVMA’s on-time performance – Maintaining high regulatory standards is
not mutually exclusive to efficient, timely and predictable regulation. It is incumbent on the
APVMA to better utilise world leading regulatory-science to deliver on-time approvals for new
products that will enable our farmers to continue being world-leading.
2. Modernise Australia’s Gene Technology Scheme – Delays to implementing modern risk
proportionate reforms to Australia’s gene technology laws have held back investment in new
breeding techniques for almost ten years. These technologies are required to ensure farmers
have access to newer crop varieties that are adapted to climate change and underpin healthy
eating and access new export markets.
3. Strengthen Australia’s IP laws to innovation – Australia’s small market for plant science
innovation means delays in new products due to mandatory pre-market assessment, reduces
the incentive to release new plant science technologies here. Improvement to IP laws will
support accelerating the release of new crop protection products and crops that use genetic
modification and new breeding techniques.
“These aren’t new asks – the plant science industry has been presenting these solutions to the
Government for years,” said Mr Cossey. “The solutions are on the table. Now it’s on the
Government to implement them. Without action, Australia faces an agricultural policy and
production crisis within the decade.”
“Farmers can’t lift productivity alone – they need a system that gets innovation to the farm gate
faster, more predictably, and with less red tape. Without that, we risk falling behind our
competitors and missing out on the economic and environmental benefits these technologies
deliver.”
– ENDS
Contact: Elyse Denman | 0459 550 010 | elyse.denman@croplife.org.au