Farmers are calling for urgent action after the federal government's pesticides agency recorded its worst-ever performance as it relocates from Canberra to northern NSW.
The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority is being controversially moved to Armidale in Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce's electorate, with its CEO amongst staff not willing to go.
National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson says fears the move will disrupt the agriculture sector seem to be coming true after the authority's March quarter approval results.
Only 30 per cent of applications for crop protection products were completed in line with statutory time frames, down from 82 per cent in the September 2016 quarter.
"Australian farmers rely on being internationally competitive through efficient operating systems and the production of pest- and disease-free produce," Ms Simson said in a statement on Friday.
"Without cost-effective chemical controls, farmers' ability to compete on the world stage is compromised - a serious concern for an industry that exports three-quarters of what it produces."
Ms Simson called on the government to provide further support to the authority as it transitions, saying more needs to be done to ensure performance doesn't continue to deteriorate.
The peak body for the agricultural chemical industry says because the delayed applications are associated with products which have a short application window, it effectively equates to them being out-of-action for an entire farming season.
"This means that the delays the industry is now facing as a result of failing APVMA operations could result in billions of dollars of lost revenue to the Australian farming sector over the coming years," Croplife CEO Matthew Cossey said.
Meanwhile, Labor's agriculture spokesman has again called for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to intervene and stop the "shocking pork barrel".
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