Minister of Agriculture (New Zealand)


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 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.

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

established the Department of Agriculture on 31 March 1892, and the first minister was appointed on 17 October 1889.
Between 1972 and 1977 the portfolio was titled "Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries"; it was changed on 1 September 1972 when Douglas Carter 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.
Prior to Keith Holyoake receiving it in 1949, the portfolio "had become notorious as a political graveyard".

List of Ministers of Agriculture

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