EPA Cuts Wait Times for Farm and Crop Protection Products

Grigg said the proposed reforms are intended to improve access to agricultural innovation while retaining environmental safeguards, balancing the needs of primary producers with protections for people and the environment.

New Zealand farmers, growers and rural businesses are getting faster decisions on products used to protect crops and control pests, with the Environmental Protection Authority cutting its backlog of hazardous substances applications while completing its highest number of annual assessments in several years.

Environment Minister Nicola Grigg said the latest EPA performance report shows the number of applications waiting for assessment has halved since July 2024, addressing concerns from primary producers who have faced lengthy waits when seeking access to newer products and agricultural innovations.

EPA Completes Most Assessments Since 2018/19

The EPA completed 66 hazardous substances assessments during the 2025/26 year, its highest annual total since 2018/19, while the number of applications awaiting assessment dropped by more than a third during the past year alone.

Grigg said farmers and growers had repeatedly raised concerns about approval times because delays can prevent businesses from accessing products that are already becoming important for managing agricultural challenges and maintaining productivity.

Faster processing is intended to give applicants more timely decisions without reducing the environmental and health protections applied when hazardous substances are assessed for use in New Zealand.

Faster Decisions Could Help Farmers Stay Competitive

Hazardous substance approvals cover products that can play an important role in controlling weeds, pests and invasive species, allowing farmers and growers to protect crops and maintain the quality and quantity of their production.

Access to newer products can become particularly important when existing treatments lose effectiveness, new pest pressures emerge or overseas competitors gain access to agricultural technologies earlier than New Zealand producers.

The Government sees shorter assessment times as one way of helping rural businesses remain competitive in international markets while ensuring products still go through regulatory scrutiny before they can be used.

Wider Hazardous Substances Reforms Move Forward

Changes are also being proposed to the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act, with the Government seeking to simplify parts of the application process and make the wider regulatory system more responsive.

Grigg said the proposed reforms are intended to improve access to agricultural innovation while retaining environmental safeguards, balancing the needs of primary producers with protections for people and the environment.

The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Amendment Bill is currently being considered by the Primary Production Select Committee, which is expected to report back in September.

Combined with the EPA's reduction in outstanding assessments, the legislative changes could reshape how quickly new agricultural and other hazardous substance products move through New Zealand's approval system, giving businesses greater certainty about when regulatory decisions can be expected.