Agriculture is one of New Zealand’s leading industries, employing thousands of people and contributing to a significant portion of the country’s overseas trade. In 2024, around 79.2 thousand people were employed in the New Zealand agriculture industry. Agriculture’s economic contribution With a GDP contribution of over 14 billion New Zealand dollars, the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry is one of the nation’s most important. A large portion of the country’s agricultural products are exported. The dairy industry was the leading primary goods export industry in New Zealand, with meat and wool products following behind. Agricultural products New Zealand produces a vast array of agricultural products for both domestic consumption and exports. The kiwi is perhaps one of the fruits most associated with New Zealand’s horticultural sector, with a high-volume and wide variety sold in the country. Similarly, New Zealand dairy products, such as milk and milk powders, are also well-known on the global stage.

The agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry is a major production and export industry in New Zealand. In the year ended March 2024, the gross domestic product (GDP) of this industry amounted to over 14.4 billion New Zealand dollars.  New Zealand agriculture  Pastoral farming of sheep and cattle constitutes a large portion of the New Zealand agriculture industry. Despite continuing a declining trend, New Zealand’s sheep population exceeded 23 million in 2024. Sheep meat and wool are both important agricultural commodities produced in the country. These products, along with beef and lamb, are consumed domestically as well as exported overseas. Horticulture production is also an important segment. A wide variety of fresh and processed fruit and vegetables are produced, consumed, and exported from New Zealand. The highest value of horticultural exports from New Zealand went to Asia in 2024. Changing consumption habits The consumption of beef and veal in New Zealand is projected to decrease over the next years. At the same time, global meat consumption is predicted to reduce significantly in the next 15 years, with meat replacements and alternatives filling the market. With the country’s agriculture industry dependent on its meat exports, this presents both challenges and opportunities for New Zealand agriculture.

Data on the economic performance of the agriculture industry describes agriculture’s contribution to the New Zealand economy. It provides supporting information for the land, atmosphere and climate, and freshwater domains. This dataset relates to the "Economic performance of the agriculture industry" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.

In 2018, the energy demand in the agriculture industry in New Zealand amounted to around 22 petajoules. In the same year, the energy demand in New Zealand was dominated by the industrial and transport sectors.

Graph and download economic data for Benchmarked Unit Labor Costs - Business Sector (Excluding Agriculture) for New Zealand (DISCONTINUED) (NZLULCBXAAPNMEI) from 1979 to 2010 about New Zealand, unit labor cost, agriculture, sector, business, and rate.

In 2023, around 2.47 thousand gigawatt hours of electricity were consumed in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industries in New Zealand. This marked a decrease in agricultural electricity consumption compared to the previous year.

The New Zealand agricultural appliance market skyrocketed to $14M in 2024, growing by 62% against the previous year. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers' margins, which will be included in the final consumer price). Overall, consumption, however, showed a deep contraction. Agricultural appliance consumption peaked at $74M in 2014; however, from 2015 to 2024, consumption remained at a lower figure.

New Zealand NZ: Employment In Agriculture: Modeled ILO Estimate: Male: % of Male Employment data was reported at 8.573 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 8.424 % for 2016. New Zealand NZ: Employment In Agriculture: Modeled ILO Estimate: Male: % of Male Employment data is updated yearly, averaging 9.585 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 13.378 % in 1992 and a record low of 8.027 % in 2015. New Zealand NZ: Employment In Agriculture: Modeled ILO Estimate: Male: % of Male Employment data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The agriculture sector consists of activities in agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing, in accordance with division 1 (ISIC 2) or categories A-B (ISIC 3) or category A (ISIC 4).; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

New Zealand GDP: Fishing, Aquaculture and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Support Services data was reported at 2,218.000 NZD mn in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,166.000 NZD mn for 2016. New Zealand GDP: Fishing, Aquaculture and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Support Services data is updated yearly, averaging 772.500 NZD mn from Mar 1972 (Median) to 2017, with 46 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,218.000 NZD mn in 2017 and a record low of 77.000 NZD mn in 1972. New Zealand GDP: Fishing, Aquaculture and Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Support Services data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics New Zealand. The data is categorized under Global Database’s New Zealand – Table NZ.A005: SNA08: GDP by Industry: ANZSIC06: Current Price.

In 2019, the number of female employees who worked in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry in New Zealand was just under 46 thousand. The number of women working in the agriculture, forestry and fishing industry in New Zealand has declined gradually since 2017.

Industry operators primarily farm and breed deer, pigs, goats, fur skin animals and other livestock.

After two years of growth, the New Zealand agricultural forestry machinery market decreased by -22.7% to $8.7M in 2024. Over the period under review, the total consumption indicated a pronounced increase from 2012 to 2024: its value increased at an average annual rate of +4.6% over the last twelve-year period. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period.

In 2023, the New Zealand agricultural product dryer market increased by 3.1% to $2.1M, rising for the second year in a row after four years of decline. In general, consumption, however, saw a perceptible decrease. As a result, consumption attained the peak level of $3.9M. From 2015 to 2023, the growth of the market remained at a somewhat lower figure.

Contains data from the World Bank's data portal covering the following topics which also exist as individual datasets on HDX: Agriculture and Rural Development, Aid Effectiveness, Economy and Growth, Education, Energy and Mining, Environment, Financial Sector, Health, Infrastructure, Social Protection and Labor, Private Sector, Public Sector, Science and Technology, Social Development, Urban Development, Gender, Millenium development goals, Climate Change, External Debt, Trade.

In 2024, the New Zealand agricultural and forestry tractor market decreased by -56.5% to $118M, falling for the second consecutive year after two years of growth. Overall, consumption recorded a noticeable decline. Agricultural and forestry tractor consumption peaked at $297M in 2022; however, from 2023 to 2024, consumption remained at a lower figure.

Sheep-beef cattle farmers have suffered from declining sheep meat production, deteriorating demand for wool and plummeting wool prices over recent years. Nonetheless, greater beef and veal production; and higher lamb, sheep and beef cattle prices have constrained revenue declines. Revenue is expected to edge downwards at an average annual rate of 0.5% over the five years through 2023-24, to $5.2 billion. As domestic meat and wool markets are well established and relatively stagnant, downstream meat processors have been increasingly shifting their focus towards export markets. Local meat processing firms derive over 80% of revenue from export markets. Expanding foreign markets, most notably China, provide an opportunity for sheep and beef cattle farmers raising export-grade livestock to access higher prices. New Zealand’s reputation for high-quality agricultural output allows companies to charge a premium in many export markets. Even so, volatile conditions following the COVID-19 pandemic and global inflationary pressures have limited demand from export markets, contributing to wilting revenue and profitability. Revenue for sheep-beef cattle farmers is anticipated to edge up by 0.5% in 2023-24, as wool and sheep meat prices trend upwards. Even so, prices received for cattle, and the number of sheep and lamb slaughtered are set to decline, offsetting some of the rise in sales volume. Sheep-beef farmers will face intensifying external competition amid rising health consciousness in years to come. Since many consumers consider leaner proteins, like poultry products, to be healthier, higher health consciousness will constrain domestic meat sales. Even so, farmers will continue benefiting from strong demand for New Zealand agricultural produce in export markets over the coming years. Free trade agreements signed with the United Kingdom and the European Union are set to gradually eliminate trade barriers on beef and sheep meat over the next decade. This development will help offset declines across other markets. That’s why revenue is forecast to inch upward at an average annual rate of 0.3% over the five years through 2028-29, to $5.3 billion.

The New Zealand agricultural self-loading trailer market dropped to $8.6M in 2024, shrinking by -6.1% against the previous year. Overall, consumption recorded a relatively flat trend pattern. As a result, consumption reached the peak level of $14M. From 2023 to 2024, the growth of the market failed to regain momentum.

The primary sector in New Zealand recorded a gross domestic product (GDP) of around 17 billion New Zealand dollars in the year ended March 2024. This sector includes the agriculture and mining industries, which are major production and export industries of the country.

The mismatches (where the assigned sire and progeny do not share any alleles) are also indicated.

This class consists of units mainly engaged in farming horses