New staff in the ACVM Directorate

The ACVM Directorate has welcomed three new staff members this month:

Andrea Clavijo-McCormick - Manager Assessments Agricultural Chemicals

Kia ora, I am excited to join the ACVM Directorate as Manager of Agricultural Chemicals Assessments. My background is in crop protection and chemical ecology. I am passionate about using science to inform government decision-making and supporting people and high-performing teams to achieve their goals.

Originally from Colombia, I have been with MPI for over five years, most recently as Manager of the Plant Risk team. Prior to joining MPI in 2021, I spent more than 15 years in academia and research institutions, including roles at Massey University, ETH Zürich (Switzerland), and the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology (Germany).

I continue to maintain strong links with the research community as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Massey University and through my role as President of the International Society of Chemical Ecology. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time in nature, travelling, reading, and cooking.

I look forward to working with colleagues and stakeholders across the sector to support effective, evidence-based regulation and innovation in the assessment of agricultural chemicals for use in New Zealand.

Ezra Lotz - Adviser Agricultural Chemicals

Kia ora, I’m Ezra, I have joined the ACVM team as an Adviser, Agricultural Chemicals.

I have a background in Chemistry and Environmental Science, with practical experience in laboratories and more recently at Medsafe. I have recently completed an MSc in Environmental Science.

In my spare time I love all sorts of fibre arts, reading and walking my cat who loves getting stuck up trees. I am looking forward to diving into my work and contributing to the team here at MPI.

Justine Schellekens - Senior Adviser Veterinary Medicines

Please join the vet med team in welcoming Dr Justine Schellekens as Senior Adviser, Veterinary Medicines. Justine joins us from Melbourne and is currently settling into life in Wellington.

Growing up on a dairy farm in South Gippsland, she graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2006 and has built an exceptional career spanning veterinary practice, industry, regulation, and leadership. She went on to spend 12 years in clinical practice in Australia and, at the age of 29, was appointed Head Veterinarian at a major Melbourne animal hospital, taking on dispensary oversight, S8 controls, and pathology management across the site.

She then moved into health and scientific affairs, where her work has spanned project management, pharmacovigilance, scientific communication, and the design and delivery of education programmes for veterinary and industry audiences in veterinary pharmaceuticals and clinical nutrition.

Complementing her veterinary qualifications, Justine holds an MBA in Change Management and is currently completing a Juris Doctor (a three-year postgraduate degree designed for non-Law degree holders). We are excited to welcome Justine and look forward to benefiting from her expertise, strategic thinking, and passion for animal health and veterinary science. Outside work, she enjoys CrossFit, dancing, and spending time with her tortoiseshell cat, Lexie, and Border Collie, Ollie.

AMR team update

Do you have an Antimicrobial Resistance Champion in your team?

Nominations for the New Zealand Food Safety (NZFS) AMR Award close on 27 September 2026!

NZFS is proud to sponsor the Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Award, recognising individuals, teams, and organisations leading the fight against antimicrobial resistance. Now in its second year, this award celebrates those making a real impact across New Zealand.

Read about last year’s winner, Taranaki Veterinary Centre:

The AMR Award recognises those taking action to reduce AMR risks. This could include:

• raising awareness about AMR;
• preventing and controlling disease;
• developing animal or plant health programmes that reduce the need for antibiotics;
• promoting responsible antibiotic use; or
• leading initiatives that help minimise antibiotic reliance.

How to enter

Entries for the 2026 award are open until 5pm, 27 September 2026.

You can nominate yourself, your team, or someone else doing outstanding work in AMR awareness or antimicrobial stewardship.

What you’ll receive

The winner will be announced during World AMR Awareness Week (18–24 November) and will receive:

• A certificate of recognition
• A commemorative plaque
• A celebratory morning tea for their team

Submit your nomination here:
https://www.mpi.govt.nz/animals/veterinary-medicines-acvm/antimicrobial-resistance/

Compliance update

ACVM Regulatory Programmes received 40 reports of potential non-compliant ACVM products and activities in August 2026, of which:

• 63% were complaints of potentially non-compliant exempt or unregistered ACVM products being advertised and/or sold;
• 5% were complaints of potentially non-compliant ACVM registered products being advertised and/or sold;
• 18% were notifications of non-complying batches of ACVM registered products released or yet to be released to the market; and
• 14% were international notifications of rapid alerts, recalls or Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) non-compliance reports. The majority of which did not affect ACVM products in New Zealand.

In 2026, 207 events have been received as of 28 August:

Thank you to those who have reported events. If you’re not familiar with the process, here’s what to do:

• If you identify an issue with your product on the market, please notify us via our forms for a registered product or exempt product.
• If you identify a suspected non-compliant ACVM product or activity, please complete our ACVM reporting form and include as much information as possible.

We manage a high volume of reports and prioritise these based on risk and potential impact. While we aim to action all matters promptly, timeframes may vary depending on the nature and urgency of each report and our workload. For more information on how we handle reports of potential non-compliance, please visit https://www.mpi.govt.nz/agriculture/agricultural-compounds-vet-medicines/acvm-non-compliance-and-recalls/non-compliant-acvm-products-or-activities/

Inhibitor update

As noted last month, the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment (RSPI) Act came into force on 10 July 2026. Two key changes introduced by this legislation are:

1.       the inclusion of inhibitors within the definition of an agricultural compound, and

2.       the revocation of the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (Inhibitor Substances) Order 2022.

As a result, all inhibitor substances previously excluded from ACVM regulation are now subject to the ACVM Act.

Consequently, inhibitor substances that were previously out of scope due to the ACVM (Inhibitor Substances) Order now require authorisation under the ACVM Act. For products already on the market, a transition period until 10 July 2027 has been provided to allow applicants time to compile registration data and submit an application. Products must be approved on or before 10 July 2027 to remain on the market.

If your product is affected by this change, please consider submitting your registration dossier 3-4 months before the 10 July 2027 deadline, to allow sufficient time for assessment. ACVM are more than happy to discuss the requirements and offer extensive guidance material and support to help companies through this. If you want to learn more about the process, please email us at approvals@mpi.govt.nz or have a look at the inhibitor web page which has been updated following the legislative changes.   

Approvals Team Tips

C9 applications

• A C9 variation is for administrative changes only (such as a change in contact person or phone number, address, EPA/HSNO updates).
• Any historical corrections to target species names, dosage rates and/or label harmonisations or updates to AER statements may require technical review (technical C9), which have additional charges.
• Ensure that all changes are documented on the applicable 1V form and provide tracked documents to show what the changes are. If we require further information or need to do follow up with the applicant, then extra time will be charged.

Registration renewals

• If you are submitting a registration renewal application, ensure no changes are made (even for contacts), otherwise a C9 application will need to be submitted. If any changes are found during our review, then extra time will be charged for any required changes.

General application advice

• Use the most recent version of the forms (currently last updated June 2026).
• All application documents should be in PDF.
• Updated sign dates are to be included on any amended paperwork to reflect the date any changes were made.
• Provide a recent letter of authorisation to act on behalf of a registrant with each application submitted.
• Include approved creditor numbers and up-to-date purchase order numbers in the payment section of the application form.
• For technical variations, allow a three-month (prior to registration expiry) window to allow enough time for these changes to be assessed. Otherwise, this creates issues across the approvals and ACVM teams when attempting to accommodate urgent requests.
• Provide the up-to-date GMP certificates (where applicable) for any formulated product manufacturers/repacker/relabellers/release for supply sites.

Class determinations

• If you are a consultant (submitter) acting on behalf of the registrant (applicant) organisation, provide a letter of authorisation.
• If you are submitting a renewal application, and have selected the "previously assessed" box, attach any previous MPI advice letter. This applies to exempt outcomes only.
• Labels for products must clearly state directions for use and ingredients.

MyMPI portal update

Since August 2026, users can now create and access a MyMPI account using a username and password, without a RealMe account. Users can register for a MyMPI account and manage their access directly through the portal using their chosen username and password.

This option will make it easier for new users to access MyMPI services where a RealMe login is not available.

While this alternative sign-in method is now available, RealMe remains the preferred method for accessing MyMPI. Existing users who currently sign in using RealMe are encouraged to continue using the "Login with RealMe" option.

Links to helpful resources:

• Documents for Agriculture Chemicals: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/agriculture/agricultural-compounds-vet-medicines/agricultural-chemicals-making-selling-using/documents-for-agricultural-chemicals
• Documents for Veterinary Medicines: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/animals/veterinary-medicines-acvm/documents-for-veterinary-medicines
• Documents for Vertebrate Toxic Agents: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/animals/vertebrate-toxic-agents-making-selling-using/documents-for-vertebrate-toxic-agents
• Class determinations and self-determinations: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/agriculture/agricultural-compounds-vet-medicines/class-determinations-and-self-determinations-under-the-acvm-act-1997
• ACVM Act: https://www.legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1997/87/en/latest/#dlm414577

Contact us

ACVM, 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.