31 March 2026: Trans-Tasman registration pilot
New Zealand Food Safety and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority are offering an improved registration pathway for manufacturers of agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines looking to enter or expand into the trans-Tasman market.
We are seeking expressions of interest for joint Australia-New Zealand product registrations from companies with:
- new products intended for registration in both Australia and New Zealand, or
- products already registered in one country that could be advanced more quickly in the other market.
For more details and to express your interest in the pilot, email approvals@mpi.govt.nz
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 compounds include veterinary medicines, crop protection products, vertebrate toxic agents, animal feeds, fertilisers, and environmental inhibitors
To ensure the risks to food safety, trade, animal welfare, plant safety, and biosecurity are identified and managed, these products must be registered under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act 1997 and Regulations.
The Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI's) ACVM team 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 the Ministry for Primary Industries (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, our Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) team focuses 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 28 February 2026, the ACVM team approved 17 new products and 15 new label claims.
In the 12 months to 28 February 2026, we approved 1,689 applications:
- 88 for new or changed label claims
- 159 for new products, of which 20 were novel.
The novel products included:
- Tower: A pre-emergence herbicide for controlling certain broadleaf and grass weeds in wheat and barley sown in autumn/winter and spring.
- TwinGuard: An insecticide for the control of caterpillars, leaf miner, springtails, aphids, and Nysius huttoni in forage brassicas.
- VarroxSan: A pest-control product for the in-hive control of varroosis due to Varroa destructor in honeybees.
- Bovilis Cryptium: A vaccine for active immunisation of pregnant heifers and cows to raise antibodies in their colostrum against the parasite Cryptosporidium parvum, intended for passive immunisation of calves.
ACVM application queue reduction
With 85% 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 and continue to focus on meeting the minister’s 30% queue reduction target by 30 June 2026.
Check our ACVM product registration monthly industry reports
Self-assessable changes
New Zealand Food Safety – the MPI business unit responsible for ACVM – aims to simplify how minor amendments to already registered agricultural compounds 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. They would, however, still need to inform New Zealand Food Safety about these changes. New Zealand Food Safety is reviewing submissions and next steps will be considered in due course.
Work on further possible self-assessable changes is also underway.
Inhibitors
Since December 2024, our ACVM team has approved 3 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 well-advanced in assessing the first methane inhibitor application for use by farmers 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 is due to be published in April 2026.
Efficacy of methane inhibitor products – guidance document [PDF, 429 KB]
To streamline the process for industry to have environmental inhibitor products’ carbon benefits recognised at farm and national level, the ACVM team is aligning its requirements for efficacy assessments with the MPI’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Farm Emission Method teams.
Better use of overseas assessments
New Zealand Food Safety 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
Milestone agreement 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 compounds and veterinary medicines through the sharing of assessments of new products.
Under the agreement, New Zealand Food Safety 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 called for expressions of interest for an improved registration pathway for manufacturers looking to enter or expand into the trans-Tasman market.
Memorandum of understanding between New Zealand Food Safety and the APVMA [PDF, 1.3 MB]
Working with the United Kingdom
ACVM representatives and the United Kingdom’s Veterinary Medicine directorate met on 17 March 2026 to facilitate an agreement on the exchange of regulatory assessment reports. This work continues.
Leveraging international regulator assessments
New Zealand Food Safety has initiated a project to maximise the use of product assessments from trusted overseas regulators. This will see the creation of a new framework to make better use of these assessments while considering New Zealand-specific conditions. The project is due to be completed in July 2026.
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 approved data assessors
After feedback from industry, New Zealand Food Safety initiated a project to review and strengthen the external data assessor system to ensure consistent, competent, and quality‑assured assessments. The project is underway and due to be finished in June 2026.
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 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.
Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (Exemptions and Prohibited Substances) Regulations 2011: The Minister for Food Safety is considering a proposal to provide a more flexible and effective exemption regime and reduce compliance and operational costs for regulating low-risk products.
ACVM Amendment Bill: The Bill seeks, among other things, to review the timeframes required by law for ACVM approval decisions and includes proposals to enable international regulators to be recognised. The amendments have been drafted and are on track for getting approval from Cabinet to be jointly lodged.
