The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) has taken the unprecedented step of calling out the ABC regarding its coverage of a story which asserts a link between Paraquat and Parkinson's disease.
Farm Weekly reported that the APVMA raised significant concerns with a number of aspects of the ABC's reporting.
"Conclusions of the review conducted by APVMA, as well as the review undertaken by the US EPA, do not support the claim that there is a growing body of evidence indicating a causal link between exposure to paraquat and the development of Parkinson's disease," the statement said.
The APVMA also stated that the ABC's reporting was based on historical usage of the pesticide which does not meet the current Agvet chemical requirements.
Grain Producers Australia RD&E Spokesperson, Andrew Weidemann said the ABC's approach was innaccurate and created misinformation within the general public about the way agriculture uses chemicals.
"The ABC has selectively portrayed the science relied on in their focus on this topic as absolute, but the reality is the ABC is not the regulator," he said.
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