New Zealand’s $250 million animal health industry could be at least 1% better off each year if its medicines were considered the same as human drugs.

Manufacturers of animal medicines along with vets are calling for the drugs to be exempt from the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act (HSNO), currently being reviewed.

Human medicines have been exempt from HSNO rules for nine years.

New Zealand Veterinary Association spokesman Wayne Ricketts said it was time animal medicines were granted the same exemption.

Agri-chemical lobby group Agcarm is repeating its call for a longer intellectual property protection period to fight the loss of $90 million worth of farm production.

The government is considering changes to laws that protect the data behind agricultural chemicals and animal health remedies in New Zealand. Currently chemical companies have protection from competitors for five years – a policy that is not in line with other developed countries, which offer 10 years protection.

New Zealand’s billion dollar agri-chemical industry is applauding a long awaited opportunity to address data protection for its products.

Agcarm chief executive Graeme Peters said the release of a discussion paper on the eve of the industry’s annual conference this week was a huge boost and a great step forward.