Media Releases

GOVERNMENT ADMITS IT HAS STOCKPILED GREEN GUARD WHILE ORGANIC FARMERS GO WITHOUT
Agriculture Minister Joe Helper has today admitted the Brumby Government has stockpiled the locust bio-insecticide known as Green Guard while up to 40 organic farms face a wait of up to eight weeks according to the Australian Plague Locust Commission.
Mr Helper, who has refused to speak publicly about the government’s stockpile, issued a media statement today admitting the government purchased all available Green Guard ahead of Victoria’s organic farmers who have been forced to wait for a delayed second batch.
Last week when Joe Helper told farmers they “must be ready to spray locusts after they hatch but before they fly, which gives most farmers no longer than a two-week period in which they need to take action”, the Minister already knew the government had the Green Guard monopoly and that farmers would not be able to purchase the product immediately.
Only after the Victorian Liberal Nationals Coalition raised the issue did the Minister confess “the Government has in stock adequate supplies of the product that we had earlier ordered to spray on public land” and that the Government would “ensure there would be enough Green Guard when needed”.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Deputy Leader of The Nationals Peter Walsh said this disorganised and incompetent approach was typical of the Brumby Government’s handling of the locust threat.
“We warned as far back as May a severe locust plague was imminent but the Premier and his Minister ignored expert advice to ensure sufficient supply was available for locust control in spring,” Mr Walsh said.
“While the government hoards supply, organic farmers have been put in a terrible position of either damaging their farms’ accreditation by spraying hatchings with whatever product they can access, or be responsible for hatchings that will have devastating impacts not only on their own crops, but neighbouring farms as well.
“The supplies of Green Guard ‘set aside’ by the Brumby Government must be immediately released to assist Victorian farmers in need,” Mr Walsh said.