Better data, more choice

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.