News & Resources

1 August 2024 Before we dive into our main conference, I’d like to share some insights from a special leadership breakfast that took place earlier this morning. We were honoured to have Minister for Regulation… Read more >

Matt Denton Giles As Country Field Scientist for Corteva Agriscience NZ, I am responsible for managing local trial research with the aim to use these data to register new products in New Zealand. Prior to… Read more >

Animal and Plant Health NZ supports the Government’s intent to speed up the approval process for new agrichemical products to improve trade and environmental outcomes, following an announcement by Ministers Seymour, Simmonds and Hoggard. Regulation… Read more >

The agricultural sector is facing a crisis, with forecasts for registering innovative animal and crop health products hitting an all-time low. A decade ago, we were world leaders in pioneering innovation. Now forecasts say it… Read more >

With the global population at 8.1 billion, and the UN predicting 10 billion in 2050, how do we keep feeding the population on the same amount of land while reducing our environmental footprint? We need… Read more >

In the ever-evolving landscape of agriculture, growers are facing a formidable challenge – the burden of compliance. The intricate web of regulations that attempt to enforce a ‘one size fits all’ approach is not compatible… Read more >

Our wish list underscores the need for government support, innovation, and strategic partnerships. Supporting all New Zealanders This is an enduring focus for us through our purpose of ensuring healthy crops and animals safeguard our… Read more >

Dr Liz Shackleton shares her thoughts on her new role as Chief Executive of Animal and Plant Health NZ. Innovative solutions crucial for managing pests and diseases New Zealand is grappling with weather changes and… Read more >

New Zealand agriculture continues to lead the way in its approach to antimicrobial resistance- one of the top ten global threats to human health. Agriculture remains ahead of the game in the use of antibiotics,… Read more >

Sheep, beef and dairy farmers may need to rethink their drenching strategies amid novel drench supply issues over the next six months. New Zealand’s manufacturers of these innovative products are warning their customers that supplies… Read more >

Dr Liz Shackleton has been appointed Chief Executive of Animal and Plant Health New Zealand effective from 30 October 2023. Her wealth of strategic leadership experience in agriculture, animal health and biosecurity, across public and private sectors, will… Read more >

Without farm inputs, one-fifth of the Wairarapa farm where scholarship winner Tegan Mitchell was raised would have been rendered ineffective after Cyclone Gabrielle hit. Heading into winter, Kotu Station – a 1400 ha sheep and… Read more >

Animal and Plant Health NZ scholarship winner Lucy Mossman’s decision to become a rural vet came as an epiphany after chasing other careers. Raised on a sheep and beef farm in Waerenga-O-Kuri, Gisborne, the Massey… Read more >

28 July 2023 It’s great to be hosting the FIFA World Cup in NZ! Have you thought about what it takes to manage the ground on which these wonderful women pull off their fancy footwork?… Read more >

New Zealand has a global reputation for high safety standards and good agricultural practices in food production. Treating animals and plants for pests and diseases helps prevent foodborne risks to people. Continuous monitoring of our… Read more >

Animal diseases are associated with significant increases in livestock greenhouse gas emissions and land use, and reduced productivity. In addition, they pose a threat to food security. Animals suffer from various diseases, some of which… Read more >

A survey by Landcare Research estimates that 6.4 percent of bee colonies are lost due to the Varroa Destructor mite, demonstrating that its destructive effects are escalating. The annual survey attributed nearly half of all… Read more >

Innovative solutions by our blue economy industries could be key to finding a sustainable path forward in a warming world, says Cawthron Institute Chief Executive Volker Kuntzsch. In his address to the recent Animal and… Read more >

Animal and Plant Health NZ has appointed Jo-Anne Stokes as Technical Adviser – Crop Protection to help its members tackle the hurdles associated with bringing innovative solutions to New Zealand to manage pests and diseases.… Read more >

With almost every region and market affected by unprecedented challenges, times are tough for the rural sector, says Animal and Plant Health NZ President Gavin Kerr. “It’s quite scary, and the rest of 2023 doesn’t… Read more >

Young, bright, passionate all-round high achievers are a few chosen words to describe the horticulture and agriculture scholarship winners we’ve celebrated over the years. The calibre of young people we’ve met through our long-running programme has been… Read more >

Pet numbers are on an upward trend due to the many benefits they offer their owners, including emotional support, reducing feelings of stress and loneliness, and increasing social contact. In return, pets need and deserve… Read more >

Food and pasture growers as well as the forestry industry rely on glyphosate to prevent deep-rooted weeds from taking over their crops and decimating productivity, according to a report by the NZIER on the benefits… Read more >

As producers of safe and healthy food, which is competitive on the global stage, New Zealand farmers and growers must be able to access the latest innovative technologies to control damaging pests and diseases. Without… Read more >

With a background in agrichemical regulation and a knack for tapping into valuable government and industry intelligence to benefit members, Rebecca Fisher is a worthy recipient of the 2022 Animal and Plant Health NZ Outstanding… Read more >

Leading the discussion, challenging the status quo and providing innovative solutions comes naturally to Rafael Barbieri, Country Registration Manager for BASF, Animal and Plant Health NZ member and winner of our inaugural Emerging Leader Award.… Read more >

Vaccination vastly improves the health of both people and animals and is vital for continuing to meet the health challenges of growing populations. Vaccinating animals protects them from life-threatening diseases such as distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus… Read more >

Scholarship recipient 25 July 2022 Despite experiencing the PSA outbreak first-hand growing up, Animal and Plant Health scholarship winner Sarah Wilson says deciding to study agribusiness was the best decision of her life. The 19… Read more >

Scholarship winner, 21 July 2022 Born and bred on a sheep (Romney stud) and beef farm in the rural town of Taihape, Animal and Plant Health NZ veterinary scholarship winner Sarah Fannin only imagines a… Read more >

Animal and plant health industry association name change The industry association representing more than 90 percent of New Zealand’s crop protection and animal health industries has a new name. Animal and Plant Health New Zealand… Read more >

Is food set to be a luxury of the wealthy? This is the question that resounds from reviewing the agricultural policies that Europe is seeking to adopt – policies that will have major implications for… Read more >

New Zealand’s two associations representing the crop protection and animal health industries will merge this month, with a name change to follow in July. Agcarm (formerly known as the Agricultural Chemical and Animal Remedy Manufacturers’… Read more >

Farmers, growers, and pet owners require ways to control pests. Naturally occurring compounds or natural extracts have been used as pesticides since ancient times. The earliest pesticides were most likely salt, sulfurous rock, and extracts… Read more >

The parasitic mite Varroa destructor is a severe threat to New Zealand’s honey bees. Since the mite appeared on our shores twenty years ago, affected bees have not been able to survive without human intervention.… Read more >

Only health, aged care, corrections and border workers will be required to be vaccinated and wear marks. Free masks and rapid antigen tests are available from testing sites and collection points. Increased access to antiviral… Read more >

Joint media release from Agcarm and NOAH The animal health associations in the UK (NOAH) and New Zealand (Agcarm) have welcomed the publication by the countries’ regulatory agencies of guidance that will enable simultaneous review… Read more >

What is a residue? A residue is a very small trace of an agricultural compound, such as a pesticide, that remains on a crop or in animal products. How much is in our food? Many… Read more >

As a leader of sustainable food production, the agrichemical industry will continue to collaborate with the government to safely manage agrichemicals in the environment, following a report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon… Read more >

The Sri Lankan government is bailing out its farmers and being blamed for a food crisis, due to a ban of agrichemicals and chemical fertilisers. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa introduced the ban in May 2021 to… Read more >

Glyphosate is used in New Zealand by farmers, councils and home gardeners. It has recorded more than 40 years of safe use and has been the subject of over 800 studies, all of which have… Read more >

The facts Despite claims that particular types of seed treatments (neonicotinoids) are harmful to bees, there is no evidence that neonicotinoids have harmed bees in New Zealand. Neonicotinoids have been used safely across millions of… Read more >

The crop protection industry exists and thrives because it is the only way growers and farmers can reasonably be certain of a harvest. This is due to two main factors.  Firstly, plants, like all living… Read more >

A nation of intense manufacturing activities combined with ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions has forced China to make drastic policy changes, resulting in strict measures to control energy supply. The global market will be… Read more >

The dairy industry is New Zealand’s largest exporter and its growth has accelerated dramatically over the past three decades.  A productive, healthy and efficient stock is vital to preserving these gains and enhancing sustainability in… Read more >

A pest is an animal or tiny organism that causes harm to humans, animals, food, or living conditions. Pests are damaging because they attack and eat vegetables and other crops, cause and spread disease, or… Read more >

Ensuring we play our part to reduce antimicrobial resistance contributes to a One Health approach that recognises the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and the environment.

Food and pasture growers as well as the forestry industry rely on glyphosate to prevent deep-rooted weeds from taking over their crops and decimating productivity, according to a report by the NZIER on the benefits… Read more >

Disease and pest free animals and crops rely on agrichemical use. Pesticides, detergents and sanitisers are a critical component of New Zealand’s $48 billion agricultural sector. The recently released and updated ‘NZS 8409:2021 Management of… Read more >

Pesticide resistance is a serious challenge for the farming sector – decreasing its ability to manage pests and diseases such as Blackspot (apples), powdery mildew (a fungal disease affecting a wide range of plants), diamond… Read more >

The animal health industry should be applauded for its contribution to New Zealand farms, vets, animals, and people. An inaugural report on its value by KPMG and Agcarm underscores an underappreciated industry that’s punching above… Read more >

The European Green Deal has admirable goals for a more sustainable future at no cost to the consumer, but a realistic lack of alternatives to conventional farming and uncertainty about what technology can be used… Read more >

The supply of veterinary medicines and pesticides is secure for the 2021-22 season, but farmers and growers may not find their favourite brand on the shelf. An alternative will be available if the usual choice… Read more >

When it comes to the food we eat, most people will agree that it is essential, that it must be safe and should sustain the environment. But when it comes to how it’s produced, views… Read more >

Scholarship winner 22 June 2021 Agricultural scholarship winner Olivia Buick loves all things ag, be it the serenity of driving a tractor in the central high country, the fascination for how soil, science and the… Read more >

16 June 2021 Working more than 12 hour shifts outdoors in bitter Northern winter temperatures of minus -45oC degrees, would send most school leavers shuddering under their duvets, but not Agcarm’s most recent scholarship winner,… Read more >

Update of Veterinary Medicine Adverse Event Guidance Documents & Reporting Form 25 May 2021

Proposed new controls for the use of Brodifacoum containing products 18 May 2021

Another campaign on farmers and beekeepers working together to Bee Responsible – launched with Apiculture NZ. Bee responsible brochure Bee responsible poster

Bees are an essential component of a strong agricultural sector. They support New Zealand’s $6 billion horticultural industry by pollinating food crops as well as producing a multitude of honey-based products. Despite recent reports of… Read more >

A landmark report reveals that without crop protection products, New Zealand’s economy would lose between $7.5 to $11.4 billion. The New Zealand Institute of Economic Development recently released the report, ‘The Importance of Crop Protection… Read more >