HortNZ CEO, Mike Chapman, suggests that the law changes will particularly help with the registration of innovative agricultural products for minor crops and animal species, increasing data protection timeframes. This is because the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Amendment Act increases the protection of research and commercial data required to register crop protection and animal health products in New Zealand. 

Chapman believes that what this should do is encourage manufacturers of crop protection products and veterinary medicines to bring their technology to New Zealand, and invest in solutions specifically for Kiwi growers, with access to more products increasing their productivity. Citrus, sweetcorn and kumara are great examples of where there can now be access to products already available overseas.

Manufacturers will now have the incentive to develop products specifically for these types of situations. These products undergo extensive testing and research to prove to regulators that they are suitable for crops and animals and are sustainable.

In summary, the legislative improvements are:

• Data protection for innovative products, including new uses, has been extended to ten years, and the Amendment now simplifies how data protection applies;
• For non-innovative products including reformulations and new uses, the Amendment introduces data protection of five years;
• For data supplied as part of reassessments, the Amendment introduces five years of data protection;
• Under the Amendment, new use applications would qualify for data protection if they result in a product being used on an additional species of plant or animal or a new pest or disease, or allow different application rates, methods or withholding periods.

Chapman says that both Government and the Ministry for Primary Industries are to be congratulated for introducing these changes.

Source: HortNZ