The Minister of Agriculture is a ministerial portfolio in the government of New Zealand. It existed from 1889 until 2012, when the Ministry was merged into the larger Ministry of Primary Industries, and again from 2017 onwards as part of the Labour coalition government. George Richardson was the first holder of the office, and David Carter of the

New Zealand National Party The New Zealand National Party ( mi, Rōpū Nāhinara o Aotearoa), shortened to National () or the Nats, is a centre-right political party in New Zealand. It is one of two major parties that dominate contemporary New Zealand politics, alongside ...

was the last before the merge. In the end, there was no Associate Minister of Agriculture, although the position had existed in the past. Carter became the first Minister of Primary Industries. During the Sixth Labour Government, the Primary Industries portfolio was again split into four – Agriculture, Fisheries, Biosecurity and Forestry. The current Minister of Agriculture is

Damien O'Connor Damien Peter O'Connor (born 16 January 1958) is a New Zealand Labour Party politician who currently serves as Minister of Agriculture, Minister for Biosecurity, Minister for Trade and Export Growth, Minister for Land Information and Minister ...

Responsibilities and powers

Since 1998, the Minister of Agriculture was the Responsible Minister for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, commonly known as MAF. Related portfolios included Minister for Biosecurity, Minister of Fisheries, Minister of Forestry, and in the past, Minister for Lands. Since 2017, the portfolio serves the Agriculture section within the Ministry for Primary Industries.

History

John McKenzie established the Department of Agriculture on 31 March 1892, and the first minister was appointed on 17 October 1889. Prior to

Keith Holyoake Sir Keith Jacka Holyoake, (; 11 February 1904 – 8 December 1983) was the 26th prime minister of New Zealand, serving for a brief period in 1957 and then from 1960 to 1972, and also the 13th governor-general of New Zealand, serving from 1977 ...

receiving it in 1949, the portfolio "had become notorious as a political graveyard". Between 1972 and 1977 the portfolio was titled "Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries"; it was changed on 1 September 1972 when

Douglas Carter Sir Douglas Julian Carter (5 August 1908 – 7 November 1988) was a New Zealand politician of the New Zealand National Party, National Party. Biography Carter was born at Foxton, New Zealand, Foxton in 1908, the son of Walter S. Carte ...

held the position, and it reverted when Duncan MacIntyre was in office. It was also briefly titled "Minister of Food, Fibre and Biosecurity", but responding to farmers' demands Labour returned it to "Minister of Agriculture" after winning the 1999 election.

List of Ministers of Agriculture

;Key Table footnotes:

Notes

References

External links

Agriculture portfolio
at the New Zealand Government website
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Minister of Agriculture (New Zealand) Agriculture in New Zealand