Syngenta is ending sales of its paraquat herbicides in Australia and New Zealand after tighter Australian regulations and higher supply-chain costs made the products commercially unviable. The company announced the withdrawal on July 24, 2026.
The decision affects a major supplier to grain, cotton, sugarcane and horticultural growers. However, it is not an Australian ban or product recall, and registered generic paraquat products supplied by other manufacturers may remain available.
Why is Syngenta stopping paraquat sales?
Syngenta ANZ managing director David Van Ryswyk said regulatory constraints, an increasingly expensive supply chain and the cost of maintaining older products had made continued sales unsustainable.
The withdrawal follows Syngenta’s March 2026 announcement that its Huddersfield plant in the United Kingdom would stop manufacturing paraquat by the end of June.
The company initially planned to supply Australian growers through a third-party manufacturer. That option was later abandoned after its local contract formulator stopped making paraquat products and suitable hazardous-chemical storage became more difficult to secure.
Is paraquat banned in Australia?
No. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, or APVMA, decided that paraquat and the related herbicide diquat could remain registered under significantly tighter conditions.
Syngenta’s exit is a commercial withdrawal rather than a government prohibition. Other companies can continue selling registered generic products that comply with the revised rules and approved labels.
Syngenta said its remaining products would be phased out according to the regulator’s designated sell-out and use-by timelines. Existing stock may therefore remain available during the transition.
What are Australia’s new paraquat restrictions?
The APVMA’s final paraquat and diquat decision, published on June 23, 2026, reduced the overall maximum application rate from 1,150 grams to 231 grams of active ingredient per hectare.
A higher rate may be used with technology-assisted spot spraying when treatment covers no more than 30 per cent of the total area.
The conditions will phase out backpack sprayers and require enclosed mixing and loading systems, enhanced personal protective equipment and fewer permitted uses.
Revised conditions apply to labels on products manufactured from June 23. Older stock will be phased out over two years, allowing farms time to change weed-control practices and prepare for the new safety requirements.
Why did the APVMA tighten the rules?
Paraquat and diquat are classified as Schedule 7 dangerous poisons in Australia. The regulator said tighter controls were needed because of acute exposure risks for people handling the chemicals and risks to birds and mammals feeding in treated areas.
The APVMA considered 171 submissions from scientists, doctors, agricultural organisations and other interested parties during its review.
It concluded that the weight of evidence did not show that exposure through approved paraquat uses increased the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s organisations and some medical specialists dispute that assessment, while paraquat has been banned or withdrawn in more than 70 countries.
Why is paraquat important to farmers?
Paraquat is a fast-acting herbicide used to control weeds in broadacre cropping and horticulture. It is particularly useful in no-till farming, where weeds are treated without repeatedly cultivating the soil.
This farming method can help retain moisture, limit soil erosion and manage weeds resistant to other herbicides. Paraquat has commonly been used in crops including wheat, canola, cotton and sugarcane.
Could supplies or prices be affected?
Western Victorian farmer and Grain Producers Australia spokesperson Andrew Weidemann said alternative products were available, although many were manufactured in China.
Syngenta’s departure does not confirm that shortages or price increases will occur. It may, however, leave growers more dependent on imported generic supplies and reduce the number of major competitors in the market.
The change comes as agricultural businesses manage other pressures, including the 55 per cent Chinese tariff affecting some Australian beef exports and recovery costs facing Western Australian farmers following severe flooding.
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What should growers do now?
Farmers should check the current label for each product rather than relying on previous instructions. Approved crops, application rates, withholding periods, mixing procedures and protective-equipment requirements may have changed.
Growers holding Syngenta paraquat products should confirm the applicable sell-out and use-by dates with their distributor. Availability and legal conditions may differ by brand, registration and country.
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