27 February 2025
Animal and Plant Health NZ welcomes the Government’s commitment to cut red tape and streamline access to new animal and plant health products for farmers and growers.
The report on the Agricultural and Horticultural Products Regulatory Review released 27 February 2025 makes 16 recommendations aimed at improving access to products and increasing regulatory efficiency.
“New Zealand’s primary sector needs to get these vital products out of the approval queue and into the hands of farmers and growers,” says Chief Executive Dr Liz Shackleton.
“If the regulatory agencies can deliver on the direction set by Ministers, then this will help the primary sector economy to grow.”
Dr Shackleton says Animal and Plant Health NZ members are pleased their concerns have been listened to. The report reinforces what members and others have been saying about eyewatering timeframes to introduce a new product and the high cost to New Zealand’s primary sector.
“The Ministry for Regulation has conducted a sound and independent review, and we appreciate its constructive conversations. The report confirms our members’ worst fears about the state of the system and recommends practical solutions.
“The real test will be how quickly regulators can ‘turn the ship around’ and implement the recommendations.
“We remain committed to working with regulators to make rapid progress in the direction set out, and welcome the commitment to including the sector in monitoring progress through the new Sector Leaders Forum.
“The next few months will help answer the question some of our members are asking, about whether the same agencies who have overseen the growth of the backlog are able to fix it,” says Dr Shackleton.
Animal and Plant Health NZ Board Chair Gavin Kerr says there’s one opportunity to get the policy and regulatory settings right for New Zealand before it becomes untenable for international and New Zealand companies to bring new products here.
“Specific and ambitious targets to reduce the approval queues and accelerate assessment process are vital for real change. Our members want to see these targets and the plan to implement them as soon as possible because that’s what will move the dial,” says Mr Kerr.
He cautioned it will take more than a plan to restore members’ confidence in the system.
“Our members will remain cautious until we see a steady stream of decisions on applications, rather than the current slow trickle.
“We are pleased to see the report acknowledge our concerns and emphasises the importance of transparency, justifiability, efficiency and equity.
“We support 15 of the 16 recommendations. While we acknowledge the regulators need to be adequately funded, we have grave concerns about the recommendation that agencies conduct their own review of cost recovery. This must be independent to provide confidence.
“This announcement brings hope for our members that farmers and growers will get their hands on the products they need within reasonable timeframes. The challenge now is to turn that hope into reality,” says Mr Kerr.
Watch our discussion about the report here
