The body representing most of the country's crop protection and animal health companies says the Veterinary Association's goal to be no longer reliant on antibiotics by 2030 is unrealistic.
The agricultural chemical and veterinary medicine manufacturers, or AgCarm, expressed surprise at the goal.
Chief executive Mark Ross said they had worked with the vet association on issues around antibiotics, but this came out of the blue.
"As an industry group, we haven't been consulted on it.
"We have been working with Government and the New Zealand Vet Association on looking at the issue around antibiotics, and we sort of agreed on a way forward.
"We're getting together a working group and just looking at what we can do in a New Zealand perspective, so having a goal by 2030 sort of caught us by surprise and there's not much context to it.
"It's only 15 years away, so we actually probably don't think it is a realistic goal, but we are keen to do something in this space."
Mr Ross said AgCarm did share the association's concerns around growing levels of antibiotics resistance.
