Combined voice
The two associations representing NZ's crop protection and animal health industries will merge this month.
One way of getting more choice and better agri-chemical products to market is to improve the data protection for companies, says Agcarm chief executive Mark Ross.
This is the protection of information supplied to regulatory authorities in support of registrations of innovative agricultural compounds, new uses and reformulations of existing registered compounds, and reassessments of existing registered products.
Ross told Rural News that with a new application for an active ingredient the applicant only get five years data protection for that product.
“That is not long enough to encourage new applications or the big companies to introduce new products because they don’t get their money back. They have to do all the research and make sure it works and after that they don’t have the chance to get their money back.
“If they bring a product in for, say, cabbages, and they want to use it on Brussels sprouts, they have to put in another application; there is no extension on data protection. They might do that in year three but they only have two years remaining of data protection. What we are looking for is, when a new application is put in for a product, they get a 5-10 year extension of the five years.
“But the government is settling on three years extension so there will be a total of eight years protection but we would like to see that increased to a minimum of a five year extension.
“We are hoping a bill will come before the house shortly by which we can lobby for an extension on the protection through the select committee process.
“It is all about cost and benefits and if a company is going to introduce a new product, making sure they get their money back.
“It will be good for New Zealand, with more products, more choice and more environmentally friendly products available.”
MPI aims to have amendment to the data protection rules under the ACVM Act introduced in Parliament by July 1, 2015. The bill will go through select committee for consideration and stakeholders will have the opportunity to make submissions.
Fonterra has cemented its position as the country’s number one cheesemaker by picking up nine NZ Champion of Cheese trophies this year.
New Zealand dairy processors are welcoming the Government’s commitment to continuing to push for Canada to honour its trade commitments.
An educational programme, set up by Beef + Land New Zealand, to connect farmers virtually with primary and intermediate school students has reported the successful completion of its second year.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) has welcomed a resolution adopted by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly to declare 2026 International Year of the Woman Farmer.
Waikato herd health veterinarian Katrina Roberts is the 2024 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
Horticulture NZ chief executive Nadine Tunley will step down in August.
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