3332 (2025). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister for Food Safety

3332 (2025). Hon Jo Luxton to the Minister for Food Safety: How, if at all, will MPI ensure that ACVM minimal efficacy requirement trials on working farms have the same level of controlled environment as the ACVM Quantitative pathway, and how, if at all, will MPI monitor these trials to ensure that results are not skewed by uncontrolled variables that may be present in a working farm setting?

Hon Andrew Hoggard: The Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines (ACVM) efficacy guidelines (in accordance with the requirements of the ACVM Act 1997) places clear requirements to ensure the security of trial site along with animal welfare consideration via animal ethics approval, regardless of the type of trial. The ACVM efficacy guidelines can be found on MPI’s website here: https://www.mpi.govt.nz/dmsdocument/54388-Efficacy-of-methane-inhibitor-products-Guidance-Document MPI can investigate if there are grounds to suspect the conditions of the ACVM approval were not being met; and the National Animal Ethics Advisory Committee (established under the Animal Welfare Act 1999) also monitor the trials they provide animal ethics approval for.