New larger production and dispatch facilities at the Somerton site.
Product breakthroughs continue for ACTA
Another year of hard work by the ABT/ACTA team has led to the release of new presentations for FOXOFF® Econobait and MOUSEOFF® Bromadiolone bait and full registration for both RATTOFF® for use in sugar cane with an extended pack range, and ACTA 1080 Concentrate for field preparation of 1080 baits.
We have also progressed our major research programs via our R&D arm Applied Biotechnologies (ABT) and improved service to our rural merchant network in all states by the ACTA marketing and sales team.
The research and marketing groups together with our whole team in production must be congratulated for maintaining high standards of service and very high quality products that are well proven, well made and well presented.
A significant factor in the accelerated research effort at ABT/ACTA group is the successful linking of our research resources at ABT with the newly established Cooperative Research Centre on Invasive Animals.
The IA-CRC links most leading agencies and some key private sector groups in Australia, New Zealand, the UK and USA and we are proud to be a principal commercial partner.
The CRC catch cry of "together we achieve solutions" welds well with our own mission of "Excellence in Pest Animal Management Technology". Apart from helping to establish the CRC itself, we have made a considerable commitment to the CRC program in a number of major projects that will bring new technology to pest animal management.
Chief amongst these are the effort, co-sponsored by the Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) and managed by Pestat Ltd, to explore the use of a possible new toxin for control of foxes, feral cats and wild dogs. The chemical given the common name of PAPP works in a similar way to carbon monoxide by preventing oxygen transport by red cells and thus is fast-acting and humane.
We have continued to development a proven new pig bait called PIGOUT® that has achieved a vast improvement in targeting baits to feral pigs while reducing risks to native species.
A third area of work with the CRC is the RODENT RESEARCH program that aims to achieve better practical control of rats and mice in intensive crops and plantations, in industrial situations (such as grain storages, animal housing facilities and refuge sites) and hopefully increase options for rodent control on islands.
In recognition of my own inputs to several areas of animal science over the last 25 years of post doctoral research and industry development, the University of Queensland has recently appointed me as Adjunct Professor of Animal Science. It goes without saying that behind such recognition are the efforts of many team members without whom such progress could not be made. It is gratifying that a leading university has acknowledged practical work in solving industry problems and also the need for functional links between industry and academia.
Invertebrate Pests
While our tradition sphere has been vertebrate pests, we have made major
progress with improved technology to control some of the most dangerous invasive
ant species. The fipronil based "Presto Ant bait" manufactured with our
proprietary matrix and active ingredients supplied by Bayer and now with BASF
(following the transfer of the active between these companies). This bait was
successfully used, under permit, to save red crabs from yellow crazy ant
supercolonies on Christmas Island and is being used to control infestations of
these invasive ants in the Northern territory, and Queensland. The project has
now been extended as the ANTOFF® project to explore
additional active ingredients with special environmental niches.
Facilities Upgrade at Somerton
During 2005/6 have trebled the size of our facilities with a major building program to allow dedicated production areas for several major projects and to provide a sophisticated freight and distribution logistics operation for our own and some new imported technologies.
We hope to build our base with structural alliances that will enhance our service to industry and underpin the growth or the business locally and international with our existing partnerships and in-house technologies. Such links will allow even greater progress and achieve a world class resource for Australia and the region.
All this would not be possible without the continued support of the farmers of Australia and the various agencies and distributors with whom we work closely and who look to us for reliable and proven technology, products and service.
We thank them for the support in an increasingly price-sensitive market where back yard manufacturers seem able to register products with minimal research and development. The folly of this for regulatory authorities that wish to see high levels of product stewardship is not lost on key industry groups.
Professor Linton Staples
Managing Director
