Workshops on self-assessable changes

The Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) team is working to identify chemistry and manufacturing variation changes that could be transitioned to self-assessable changes or notifications. This aims to reduce the regulatory burden on registrants and support a more efficient and reliable supply of products to the market and end users.

The ACVM team hosted the first webinar workshop for veterinary medicines registrants last month and the second webinar workshop for agricultural chemicals registrants earlier this month. A follow-up webinar workshop for veterinary medicines registrants was held on 11 November to progress outstanding aspects of the proposals and discussion points remaining from the workshop on 22 October. These workshops provided an opportunity to share and discuss potential options for chemistry and manufacturing variation changes with registrants and other interested persons.

Any additional feedback following this workshop can be submitted to the relevant team manager:

• Alison Weaver, Team Manager Assessments Veterinary Medicines alison.weaver@mpi.govt.nz
• Amanda McKay, Team Manager Assessments Agricultural Chemicals & VTAs amanda.mckay@mpi.govt.nz 

The ACVM team intends to progress work to finalise the proposed self-assessable changes, how these will be implemented and expected timeframes over the coming weeks. We will ensure registrants and industry are kept informed as this work progresses, and will include relevant updates in future editions of this e-newsletter.

Inhibitor update

The updated methane inhibitor efficacy guidance is now published on the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) webpage.

The ACVM team is currently reviewing the efficacy guidance for urease/nitrification inhibitors to ensure the documents are aligned. We intend to update it by the end of 2025.

Our next Inhibitor Operational Forum (IOF) will be held on Wednesday, 26 November, in Wellington. Forum members should have received an invite already. The IOF provides a collaborative space for regulators, researchers and industry to share and discuss matters of mutual interest on the regulatory oversight of inhibitors to ensure the regulatory system is fit for purpose. It is open to organisations and individuals actively involved in developing environmental inhibitors. If you would like to join the IOF, please contact mark.aspin@mpi.govt.nz.

AMR team update

Join us for World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week 
From 18 to 24 November, join MPI, industry and professional bodies to promote the importance of keeping livestock and pets healthy to reduce infections and the use of antibiotics. 

This year, the theme for World Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week (WAAW) is “Act Now: Protect Our Present, Secure Our Future”.  

How you can get involved in WAAW 
Join New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS), the Veterinary Council of New Zealand, and New Zealand Veterinary Association for a webinar to recognise WAAW.  

Date: Monday, 17 November 
Time: 12-1pm 
What to expect: 

• A panel discussion with veterinary specialists discussing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in practice. 
• Demonstration of MPI's new AMR surveillance dashboard.  
• Announcement of the winner of the inaugural NZFS AMR Award.  

Register for the webinar here 

Play your part by promoting WAAW in your stakeholder newsletters and on your social media channels. Check out our website: Controlling and preventing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for resources, including social media tiles and a poster highlighting the importance of keeping animals healthy to help reduce antibiotic use. Together, we can reduce AMR and protect public health.  

AMR e-learning module available to non-veterinarians
MPI has received very positive feedback about the AMR
e-learning course available on the Veterinary Council of New Zealand’s website. We are making some tweaks based on the feedback received so far. We are also pleased to advise that anyone can now enrol for this free course through this link.

With World AMR Awareness week coming up, it’s a great time to refresh your knowledge on AMR, antimicrobial stewardship, and the rules around using antibiotics in New Zealand - and gain free continuing professional development. Please fill in the feedback form upon completion, so that we can make the module even more user friendly and helpful.

ACVM Christmas cut-off and shutdown dates for 2025 

As we near the end of 2025, please be aware of the cut-off dates for applications submitted to the ACVM teams. These dates are also in the Operations Team’s email signatures and in the automatic reply from the Approvals inbox.

NZFS will endeavour to process ACVM applications prior to Christmas. To be considered for the last pre-screen of 2025, applications must be submitted by noon, Monday, 1 December 2025.

Applications submitted after this date may not be notified of the pre-screen outcome until after Thursday, 15 January 2025.  

If further information is requested, it is unlikely that your application will be approved prior to Thursday, 15 January 2025. For all other applications received after noon, Monday, 1 December, these may not be processed until the new year. 

MPI sites will be closed from 12pm 24 December 2025 and will open again on 5 January 2026. For urgent issues during this time, please phone 0800 00 83 33.

ACVM applications approved in October 2025

The ACVM Register is publicly accessible and allows you to search for any registered veterinary medicines, agricultural chemicals and vertebrate toxic agents, including specific registered trade name products and their conditions of use; recent new product registrations; and suspended, cancelled or de-registered registrations.

Compliance update 

ACVM compliance received 12 reports of potential or confirmed non-compliant ACVM products and activities in October, and 308 reports have been received to date:

Agricultural chemicals application update

As of the end of October, there were: 

• 37 applications in the queue 
• 53 applications in appraisal 

In the queue, there are: 

• 19 new product applications (12 A-Type and 7 B-Type) 
• 13 new-use or use-change applications 
• 5 deviation application 

There are no chemistry and manufacturing variation applications in the queue. 

Veterinary medicine application update

As of the end of October, there were: 

• 64 applications in the queue 
• 120 applications in appraisal (34 of these are C10-Reassessment applications)

In the queue, there are: 

• 16 new product applications (10 A-Type and 6 B-Type) 
• 12 new-use or use-change applications 
• 30 chemistry & manufacturing change applications
• 4 deviation application 
• 2 operating plans 

New organics legislation and public consultation

The Organics Act
The Organic Products and Production Act became law on 5 April 2023. It will help with developing new standards for organic products. It will set requirements for most businesses involved in the organic sector, from production through to sale. The purpose of the Act is to:

• increase consumer confidence in buying products labelled "organic";
• increase certainty for businesses claiming products as organic; and
• facilitate international trade in organic products.

The Regulations 
The Organic Standards Regulations 2025 and Organic Products and Production Regulations 2025 are now publicly available:   

• Organic Products and Production Regulations 2025
• Organic Standards Regulations 2025

The Organic Standards Regulations set out the minimum requirements that must be met for primary products to be labelled as ‘organic’. The standard is technical in nature and will require supplementary notices to give it full effect. It is divided into seven sections: general, livestock, plants, aquaculture, apiary, processing and handling, and inputs. 

The Products and Production Regulations set out the checks and balances necessary to ensure the standard is followed. Tools for ensuring organic integrity include diligent record keeping and regular communication and checks, including regular onsite visits from an independent verification body. 

Supplementary Notices
Under the new organics regulatory regime, the Act requires MPI to publish a register of acceptable and unacceptable inputs. These inputs will be set out in a new Inputs Notice for Generic Substances. The assessment, management, and use of inputs is a critical component of organic production and processing. The incorrect use of an input can affect the ability of a product to carry an organic claim and a product's eligibility to be exported.

The notice sets lists for substances that can be used in products such as cleaners and sanitisers, fertilisers and soil conditioners, and crop protection. Each substance listed is acceptable on the basis that its use complies with the circumstances and any conditions specified for each input.

Public consultation on the Organics Notice on inputs for generic substances is now closed. 

Contact us

ACVM Team, Assurance, New Zealand Food Safety Haumaru Kai Aotearoa

Pastoral House, 25 The Terrace, PO Box 2526, Wellington 6140, New Zealand

Email approvals@mpi.govt.nz  

Website Agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines (ACVM) | Agriculture | NZ Government (mpi.govt.nz)

Subscribe to ‘Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines’ and ‘ACVM recalls’ on the Ministry for Primary Industries website to receive email updates on matters relating to ACVM.