PIRSA's Rural Chemicals Program is a stakeholder in the National Residue Survey (NRS) coordinated by the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (AFFA). The NRS monitors residues of agricultural and veterinary chemicals and environmental contaminants in selected Australian animal products (meat, egg, honey and fish) and plant products (grain, oilseed and horticulture).

NRS residue monitoring facilitates Australia’s access to key export and domestic markets for participating industries by underpinning industry quality assurance programs.

In agriculture, the term residue is generally used to refer to small amounts of an agricultural or veterinary chemical, or its breakdown products, that can remain on or in agricultural produce. The term also includes environmental contaminants such as metals and other chemicals that may be present in food, either through natural circumstances or as a consequence of man's industrial or agricultural activities.

Rural Chemicals Program participates in the National Hormonal Growth Promotant (HGP) Program, the National Antibacterial Residue Minimisation (NARM) Program and the National Organochlorine Residue Management (NORM) Program. These are residue minimisation programs coordinated by AFFA.

The AFFA website provides further details about the NRS and residue minimisation programs: www.affa.gov.au (external site)

Producers who use hormonal growth promotant implants in cattle must observe requirements specified in the Livestock Regulations. A Rural Chemicals Program fact sheet on Hormonal Growth Promotants (.PDF) outlines these requirements.