Herbicide banned in 70 countries to be pulled from sale in Australia by chemical maker

Paraquat, a herbicide banned in more than 70 countries, has been produced by the Swiss company Syngenta for decades, but has long been linked to Parkinson’s disease in users. Photograph: Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters

Syngenta, the producer of a herbicide banned in more than 70 countries and which has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, will stop selling paraquat in Australia, saying new regulations has made it “commercially unviable”.

The decision to pull the product follows new restrictions on the highly poisonous chemical announced by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority in June.