Revised AFB Plan Gains Long-Awaited Ministerial Approval – Changes Expected in 2027

New Zealand’s long-awaited changes to the National American Foulbrood (AFB) Pest Management Plan are moving towards implementation, with proposed measures including greater transparency of honey test results, compulsory employee training, and stronger compliance tools. The Biosecurity Minister and Cabinet’s approval of the new plan was announced on October 1, the changes having been presented to them by the agency responsible for implementing the plan, New Zealand Bee Health and Biosecurity (NZBB), following industry consultation in 2021 and 2022.

If they gain final approval following a final round of discussion at Cabinet level, they are expected to take effect in 2027.

AFB remains a significant biosecurity challenge for the apiculture sector, which contributes around $426 million annually in export earnings and provides vital pollination services.

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says the changes would improve disease detection and containment while limiting additional costs and paperwork.

An AFB infected beehive.

"The current plan has served New Zealand well since 1998. These changes are not a major redesign. They are sensible, industry-driven improvements that will help find and contain the disease more quickly," Hoggard says.

Honey Testing to Strengthen Surveillance

Under the proposed rules, diagnostic laboratories will be required to supply AFB test results to NZBB. The aim is to improve surveillance and help identify potential gaps in disease elimination programmes.

NZBB chief executive Niha Long says the requirement would not introduce additional testing obligations.

“No additional testing is required. Beekeepers who are already using diagnostic laboratories for AFB tests on their honey (e.g. for export) would come under this new rule,” Long explains.

Much of the honey produced in New Zealand undergoes honey testing for AFB and soon those results will be required to be made available to the agency responsible for helping beekeepers eliminate AFB.

She says the proposal came from beekeepers during the 2021/22 consultation, who identified non-reporting and under-reporting as barriers to national AFB elimination.

Laboratories would provide results to NZBB, potentially in monthly batches, with information recorded against beekeepers’ HiveHub profiles. Results could help NZBB target surveillance and inspections, with positive findings potentially prompting discussions with affected beekeepers to establish whether they indicate an unreported AFB issue or another possible source of infection.

There will be no additional costs to beekeepers from the proposed reporting rule, and they will remain free to decide whether to test their honey and bee products. However, HiveHub upgrades will be needed to automate the receipt of results and generate reports. These will be funded through levies, although the cost has not yet been established. NZBB closed consultation with beekeepers regarding the 2027/28 levy on October 11, having proposed a 13% increase, from $1.95 to $2.20 per colony.

Employee Training Becomes Compulsory

NZBB chief executive Niha Long.

The revised plan will also require employees working under Disease Elimination Conformity Agreements (DECAs) to undertake AFB training. This too emerged from the 2021/22 consultation, when beekeepers called for greater understanding of AFB recognition and legal obligations.

Long says employees manage more than 60% of New Zealand’s honey bee colonies, making their knowledge and practices critical to disease elimination.

"Their day-to-day practice matters as much as their employers' decisions," Long says.

“The limited evidence we have suggests many of these staff aren't familiar with the AFB elimination practices their employer has agreed to in a DECA, or why those practices matter. These staff are central to eliminating AFB.”

NZBB has promoted its training nationally, with attendance increasing 19.8% in 2025/26. It introduced a commercial refresher course in 2025 covering AFB management, husbandry, DECAs, traceability, record-keeping and staff training. Recognition and refresher courses are available online and in person, with only the online refresher course free.

The training requirements are expected to take effect two years after the amended Plan Order commences. Employers will need to keep staff training records, with NZBB monitoring completion.

Clarifying the Enforcement Changes

Several proposed changes refer to ‘offences’ rather than ‘infringement offences’, raising questions about whether beekeepers could face prosecution or harsher penalties instead of an infringement notice and fine. However, the Minister says the changes would have the opposite effect; some existing offences that can only be prosecuted would become infringement offences, dealt with by a notice and fee.

“Changing these offences to infringements provides a more practical enforcement tool that can be used when appropriate,” Hoggard says.

Trained canine were proven capable of identifying AFB spores in a controlled, lab, environment during trials in 2021. However, while understanding their potential, the AFB Agency (now NZBB) has been sceptical of their ability in field conditions.

Detector Dogs Remain Under Consideration

The revised plan allows for the potential future use of AFB detector dogs, but further research is needed before their effectiveness can be confirmed for wider implementation, in NZBB’s opinion.

“NZBB agrees that dogs can screen hives faster than humans, and they have certainly reported to have achieved over 90% accuracy in controlled trials and may provide early warning.” Long explains.

“While the use of detector dogs is promising, NZBB requires further research to confirm the sensitivity and specificity of the dogs for detecting AFB cases.”

New Zealand peer-reviewed research is currently limited to a 2023 proof-of-concept study under controlled conditions. Overseas studies show potential, but further validation and human confirmation remain necessary. Handler skill, environmental conditions, dog fatigue, training, veterinary care and ongoing costs are also considerations.

There is no timeframe for incorporating detector dogs into the plan. Beekeepers can already use them, but they do not replace required visual inspections.

Legislative Process Still to Come

Although Ministerial and Cabinet approval has been secured for the next stage, the amended plan is not yet in force.

The Minister for Biosecurity says four proposals to amend the AFB plan were submitted to the previous Government in 2023.

“It is unusual to receive more than one proposal to amend a pest management plan,” Hoggard notes.

Following assessment by officials, only the management agency’s proposal met the requirements under the Biosecurity Act.

“Cabinet agreed to refer the updated plan for drafting last month,” he says.

“The next step is to draft the amended Order in Council that implements the changes to the National Pest Management Plan. That will be taken back to Cabinet for final approval when it is ready, after the election. If approved, I anticipate the changes will come into effect in 2027.”

Long says NZBB will provide timeline updates and help beekeepers understand the revised requirements and the pathway for serious breaches.

Hoggard acknowledged the delay in getting the new plan in place, with implementation likely to come more than half a decade after beekeepers were consulted with, but pointed to the changing nature of beekeeper representation in recent years as reason for caution.

“The proposals were developed through industry consultation and have good industry support; I acknowledge the delay in getting to this point. However, I have also been conscious of a significant amount of uncertainty in the bee and honey industry over the last couple of years. Last year, I appointed the New Zealand Bee Health and Biosecurity Trust as the new agency to implement the Plan, and there has also been a lot of change in bee industry representation over that time. I’ve worked closely with bee industry groups, including on the ongoing yellow-legged hornet response, and it’s pleasing that the industry appears to have some stability with the establishment of Honey and Bees New Zealand.”

Hoggard says implementation will be critical.

“I have no reservations about the proposed changes …  I trust that the management agency will work closely with the sector, especially as it develops its operational policy in 2027.”

Until the amended Plan Order comes into effect, the current plan remains in force. NZBB advises that beekeepers can prepare by reviewing their AFB management practices, ensuring staff training is up to date and considering how existing honey testing arrangements may fit the proposed reporting requirements.

The full list of consultation documents and planned changes to the PMP can be viewed here. NZBB can be contacted via email, info@nzbb.org.nz