No legal basis to ban straw imports, says Agriculture Minister

Martin Heydon urged farmers to 'carefully consider' the risks associated with imported straw

Imports have come mostly from the UK, but also from Spain and other mainland European countries. File picture

Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon has said there is no legal basis to prohibit the importation of straw. Instead, co-operation across sectors of the agricultural industry could minimise imports, he said.

"I would urge farmers to carefully consider the risks associated with imported straw, recognising the need to protect farms from herbicide-resistant weeds".