Why we regulate agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines
Farmers and growers use agricultural compounds to help protect the food supply and to maximise the quantity and quality of the food they grow. These compound chemicals include veterinary medicines, crop protection products, vertebrate toxic agents, animal feeds, fertilisers, and environmental inhibitors.
To ensure the risks to food safety, trade in primary produce, animal welfare, plant safety, and biosecurity are identified and managed, these products must be authorised under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act 1997 and Regulations.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) administers the act, carefully assessing all the applications while ensuring they are processed in a timely manner. Applications range from registration of new products and research approval requests to use and manufacturing changes.
Other legislation that may also apply to these products includes the Biosecurity Act 1993 and the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996.
The ACVM regulatory system gives confidence to our farmers and growers that products are safe to use and effective in New Zealand conditions, assurance to our primary industry processors that the use of these products will meet the trade requirements of our global trading partners, and certainty in the safety and suitability of New Zealand food to consumers throughout the world.
Authorisation of agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines (ACVM)
Agricultural and horticultural products review
In February 2025, the Ministry for Regulation released a report into its review of the approval path for agricultural and horticultural products. The review made 16 recommendations, 13 of which are relevant to MPI.
MPI welcomed the review and has made significant progress against all 13 recommendations.
Quarterly progress reports
We're publishing quarterly updates of progress against the 13 recommendations by the Ministry for Regulation.
March 2026: ACVM progress on Ministry for Regulation review recommendations [PDF, 298 KB]
December 2025: ACVM progress on Ministry for Regulation review recommendations [PDF, 295 KB]
Latest progress against the recommendations
MPI is committed to ensuring that farmers, growers, and vets have fast access to the latest agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines while ensuring any risks are identified and managed.
To this end, we focus on approving products while continuously enhancing processes, guidance, legislation, and relationships with international regulators.
New products and new label claims approved
Before novel agricultural and horticultural products can be used in New Zealand, most need to be approved under both the HSNO Act, administered by the Environmental Protection Authority, and the ACVM Act, administered by MPI. Products cannot be registered under the ACVM Act until they have an approval under the HSNO Act.
From 1 January to 30 June 2026, MPI approved a total of 483 applications – 226 for agricultural chemicals and 257 for veterinary medicines.
Of these approvals, 10 were for novel products – 3 agricultural chemicals and 7 veterinary medicines for production and companion animals.
The approved novel products for farmers and growers included:
- Actavan Bio: a natural elicitor that enhances the plant’s defences in vine grapes, increasing their resistance to Botrytis infection.
- Lumiposa: an insecticide, applied as a seed treatment, to reduce damage to maize seedlings by certain establishment pests.
- Scorpius Attack Spot-on: a topical formulation for the treatment and control in crossbred sheep of susceptible gastrointestinal roundworms and lungworms.
- Vibrance Premium: a broad-spectrum fungicide that can be used to control black scurf, silver scurf, black dot, gangrene, and fusarium dry rot in potato seed tubers. It also suppresses common scab.
For a full list of novel products we approved in 2025 and 2026, see Novel agricultural and veterinary product approvals
ACVM application queue reduction
With 75% of ACVM applications currently being completed within the statutory time (up from 55% in November 2024), we are ensuring farmers and growers get the products they need as quickly as possible while protecting our trade reputation and plant and animal welfare and productivity.
We exceeded the Minister for Food Safety's target of a 20% reduction to the application queue from October 2024 to June 2025.
The total registration queue has been trending downwards since February. Although the queue remains above the ministerial target of 70 applications, this steady reduction reflects increased assessment throughput and our focus on progressing complex applications through the system.
To get novel products to farmers and growers faster, we have also established 4 specialist roles to focus on new product applications.
Check our ACVM product registration monthly industry reports
Self-assessable variations
MPI aims to simplify how minor amendments to already registered agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines are assessed.
To that end, a consultation closed on 15 March 2026 on proposals to allow manufacturers that meet specific criteria to make minor changes to the chemistry or manufacturing of their products without needing prior regulatory approval. However, they would still need to inform MPI about these changes.
The guidance for the first tranche of self-assessable variations for agricultural chemicals was published on 5 June 2026, with further tranches in development.
Read the guidance on self-assessable variations for agricultural chemicals [PDF, 296 KB]
Inhibitors
Since December 2024, MPI has received and approved 3 applications for urease inhibitors, which allow farmers and growers to use less fertiliser, reduce input costs over time, and lower greenhouse gases and nitrogen leaching.
We're also assessing the first application for a methane inhibitor bolus for use by farmers in beef cattle and hope to have a decision on the application in 2026.
In October 2025, we published updated methane inhibitor efficacy guidance, and updated efficacy guidance for nitrate and urease inhibitors was published in April 2026.
Efficacy of methane inhibitor products – guidance document [PDF, 429 KB]
Better use of overseas assessments
MPI continues to work closely with international regulatory partners to get safe and effective agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines to farmers, growers and vets faster.
ACVM collaboration with international regulators
Working with Australia
A milestone agreement signed between New Zealand and Australia at the end of 2025 will give the region’s primary sector faster and more efficient access to important new agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines through the sharing of assessments of new products.
Under the agreement, MPI and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) will work together on assessments, cross-training staff, and increasing the efficiency of regulatory processes.
On 31 March 2026, the agencies opened up expressions of interest for an improved registration pathway for manufacturers looking to enter or expand into the trans-Tasman market.
Applications for the pilot are open, with implementation to start over the next 12 months.
Find out more
Collaboration with international ACVM regulators
Memorandum of understanding between New Zealand Food Safety and the APVMA [PDF, 1.3 MB]
Working with the United Kingdom
MPI and the United Kingdom’s Veterinary Medicine Directorate have undertaken similar work to establish a process for sharing assessments of veterinary medicines.
We will start pilot delivery in the coming months, building on the framework established with Australia.
Strengthening the external data assessor framework
MPI requires data assessment to be done before an application for registration (or variation to registration) is made under the ACVM Act. An application must include appropriate data assessment reports from a competent and independent data assessor.
MPI keeps a list of external data assessors
After feedback from industry and a recommendation from the Ministry for Regulation's review, MPI initiated a project to review and strengthen the external data assessor system to ensure consistent, competent, and quality assured assessments.
We have completed a review and will implement a comprehensive improvement programme, including updated guidance and new training modules, in the coming months.
Legislative changes
The following pieces of legislation are on track to be amended this year:
Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment Bill: The bill makes minor or technical changes to 22 acts, including the ACVM Act, administered by MPI. While each amendment is minor, as a whole, the bill will result in significant benefits for the food and fibre sector. Amendments will increase efficiency, save costs and simplify processes. The bill completed its third and final reading on 30 June 2026 and became law on 9 July 2026.
Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (Exemptions and Prohibited Substances) Regulations 2011: The proposed amendments provide a more flexible and effective exemption regime and reduce compliance and operational costs for regulating low-risk products. Drafting of the proposed amendments is in progress.
ACVM Amendment Bill: The bill will provide the legislative foundation for several key Ministry for Regulation recommendations, including formalising use of international regulator assessments, moving exemptions for low-risk products from regulations to a notice, fit-for-purpose statutory timeframes, and strengthening the external data assessor framework. The bill was introduced to Parliament in May 2026 and is progressing through the Primary Production Select Committee