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Agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines (ACVMs) must be authorised

If you want to import, manufacture, sell, or use an ACVM in New Zealand, it must be authorised under the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) Act 1997 and Regulations.

Authorisation of ACVMs may be through:

  • registration – for products that need individual assessment and approval
  • exemption – for certain products that have already been assessed as a group.

Authorisation is part of the ACVM risk management process.

Is your product an ACVM?

ACVMs are agricultural compounds, including veterinary medicines – substances used to manage the health and growth of plants and animals.

Definition of agricultural compounds and veterinary medicine (ACVM)

If you’re not sure whether your product is an agricultural compound, a class determination will tell you its status under the Act.

Class determination: where your product fits under the ACVM Act 1997

If your product is not an ACVM, you don't have any obligations under the ACVM Act, but other legislation may still apply.

Find out more about:

Having an ACVM authorised

If you’re not familiar with ACVM processes, you may not know where to start. Check these pages first:

If you find that you need to register your product, you may wish to hire a consultant to help you. As the regulatory body, MPI cannot provide consultation through the registration process.

Listed consultants are not MPI-endorsed. They nominate their own areas of expertise – select the relevant area from the drop-down list.

List: consultants for agricultural compounds and veterinary medicines (ACVM)  

ACVM email news

It’s important to keep up with any new or revised ACVM information, including requirements, consultations, policies, and other content changes.

Subscribe to MPI's ACVM news by email

Questions about ACVMs

If you have questions about ACVMs, email approvals@mpi.govt.nz

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