Staff updates

The ACVM directorate farewelled Amanda McKay on Friday, 5 June. Amanda made a significant contribution to the ACVM team during her three-and-a-half years as Manager Assessments - Agricultural Chemicals. Her leadership and input will be dearly missed. We thank her for all her efforts and wish her well for the future.

The Assessments teams were also sad to farewell:

• Rudy Bundela, Adviser Agricultural Chemicals, whose last day was Friday, 26 June. Rudy has added real value to the Agricultural Chemicals team for the three years he has been with us.
• Robert Yu, Adviser Veterinary Medicines, who has completed his fixed term appointment with the Veterinary Medicines assessment team and has moved to Christchurch. Robert’s last day was Thursday, 25 June.  

We wish them all the very best for the next chapter in their careers

Join our team

Opportunities to join the ACVM team can be found on the MPI careers website. We are currently recruiting for an Adviser, Agricultural Chemicals: Adviser Agricultural Chemicals | Wellington City | NZ Ministry for Primary Industries Careers. Please pass this information to those who may be interested.

We will also soon be advertising for four new Specialist Adviser – Assessment roles. These roles will be focused on the technical assessment and regulation of agricultural chemical and veterinary medicine applications, particularly for complex or novel products. Watch this space.

Register for the ACVM Annual Workshop

The ACVM Annual Workshop will provide updates on ACVM regulatory settings that support the safe and effective use of agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines in New Zealand.

The workshop is an opportunity to understand current regulatory priorities and how they may affect industry practice. The panel discussion with representatives from the Environmental Protection Authority, the ACVM team, and the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority promises to be very engaging. If you have any questions in advance, please let us know.

Date: Tuesday 21 July

Venue: Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington
Time: 8.30am tea and coffee, start 9:00am – 4:00pm

Register here to attend

Inhibitor update: Legislation transition period extended

In 2023, an Order in Council (OIC) brought 46 known environmental inhibitor substances under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act. It also introduced a transition period requiring products containing these substances to be registered by 1 July 2026. The Government has recently agreed to extend this transition period by one year, to 1 July 2027.

The original intention was for these OIC provisions to be replaced by amendments in the Regulatory Systems (Primary Industries) Amendment (RSPIA) Bill. The RSPIA Bill would bring all inhibitor products used in agriculture under the ACVM Act, creating a single, consistent regulatory framework. The Bill is currently at its third reading in Parliament.

By 1 July 2027, or 12 months after the amended Act comes into force (whichever is later), any product sold under a trade name that makes an inhibitor claim will need to be registered under the ACVM Act before it can be manufactured, sold, or distributed in New Zealand.

Over the past 18 months, ACVM has engaged with 33 companies about registering environmental inhibitor products intended to reduce agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. Although only four applications are currently under assessment, interest from industry remains strong and the number of applications is expected to increase in the near future.

We are here to help if you are thinking about registering an inhibitor product.

Our next inhibitor operational forum will be on 30 July 2026. At the forum, we talk through regulatory matters with product developers and interested parties. If you’d like to be part of this forum, please contact approvals@mpi.govt.nz.

AMR team update

Surveillance reports

Two new AMR surveillance reports are available on the MPI website. These are:

• Antimicrobial Resistance in Pigs in New Zealand; and
• New Zealand Veterinary Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Report - 2023-2025.

New subscription option for the AMR Research Forum

The AMR Research Forum is an informal online meeting for AMR researchers to come together every second month to share research in New Zealand across all sectors. The aim is to foster collaboration among AMR researchers, help to inform research gaps, and disseminate findings from existing research.

You can now add yourself or share this link to our newsletter subscription to receive notifications and updates about upcoming AMR Research Forums.

Our next forum is scheduled for 20 July 2026 from noon to 1pm. You can sign up for the July AMR Research Forum here: AMR Research Forum.

Nominations for the 2026 AMR Award are open

The AMR Award recognises those championing the fight against antimicrobial resistance in the animal and plant sectors. Spread the word and encourage your stakeholders to apply.

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

Submit a nomination and read about last year’s winner here: The AMR Award.

Compliance update

ACVM Regulatory Programmes received 15 reports of potential non-compliant ACVM products and activities in June 2026, of which:

• 7% were complaints of potentially non-compliant exempt or unregistered ACVM products being advertised and/or sold
• 33% were complaints of potentially non-compliant ACVM registered products being advertised and/or sold
• 53% were notifications of non-complying batches of ACVM registered products released or yet to be released to the market
• 7% 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, 140 events have been received as of 25 June:

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/

Update: Lighter-touch regulations for hemp cultivation

Lighter-touch regulations regarding hemp cultivation came into effect on 28 May 2026. These regulations replace the previous industrial hemp licencing requirement. Growers now need to notify MPI and New Zealand Police before cultivating hemp. These regulations are intended to reduce compliance burden on the hemp industry.

There are no changes to food safety regulations or agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines regulations. This means that:

• Hemp products for animals must still be registered with MPI.
• Food must stay below residue limits for agricultural compounds.

See the latest ACVM notification on hemp use in agricultural compounds.

Hemp food products must follow labelling requirements and meet tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD) limits. Food businesses and importers must also be registered.

There are risks to safety and reputation if tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or cannabidiol (CBD) reach humans or animals without appropriate oversight and registration. Regulations around hemp use in animals and hemp food products help manage risks to people, the environment, and trade, while supporting New Zealand’s primary sector and upholding animal welfare and food standards.

For further guidance on the change in hemp regulations, visit MPI’s website: Hemp: guidance for growers, processors, importers, and exporters.

Approvals team tips

Keep your CD application on track

When completing your Class Determination (CD) application in the ACVM portal, your session is aligned with the RealMe login timeout, which is approximately 20 minutes. If your application is left idle during this time, you may be automatically logged out.

This occurs because RealMe securely manages your session in the background, and the ACVM portal is aligned to match this timing for a consistent and safe experience.

To make your application process as smooth as possible, a little preparation and active session management can go a long way.

Before you log in: Quick preparation checklist

• Have all required documents and information ready
• Draft longer responses offline to copy and paste
• Ensure you have a stable internet connection
• Set aside enough uninterrupted time to complete sections of your application

 Helpful tips while applying

• Save your progress regularly
• Stay active in the portal (avoid long pauses)
• Work through your application in smaller sections if needed

 If you get logged out

• Simply log back in using RealMe
• Navigate back to your application and continue from your last saved point
• Check that your information has saved correctly before proceeding

 Browser tips for a better experience

• Use an up-to-date browser (e.g. Chrome, Edge)
• Avoid using multiple tabs for the same application
• Enable cookies and pop-ups for RealMe and the ACVM portal
• Clear cache if you experience loading or session issues

A little preparation and awareness of the 20-minute session limit will help you complete your CD application efficiently—without interruptions.

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.