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Role of the council

The Primary Sector Council was established in April 2018 by the Minister of Agriculture and was active for 2 years, with one working group continuing for a further few months.

This group of agribusiness leaders aimed to help the primary sector get more value from its work by:

  • providing strategic advice to the Government on issues, opportunities and challenges facing the primary industries
  • developing a sector-wide vision
  • working with each sector to develop individual strategic plans.

You can find out more about the council and its role in the Terms of reference.

Download the Terms of reference [PDF, 364 KB]

Read the Government's media release about establishing the council – Beehive website

Council membership

The council was made up of a chairperson and up to 14 other members. Members included a range of innovative leaders from across the primary sector.

Members were appointed for up to 2 years.

Three observers were also appointed to sit on the council during the first year.

Council members profiles [PDF, 213 KB]

Meeting summaries

Reports and resources

In June 2020, the Government released 2 reports prepared by the council:

Vision and strategy for the food and fibres sector [PDF, 3.2 MB]

Te Taiao framework and pathways [PDF, 596 KB]

The Primary Sector Council launched its vision for the food and fibres sector – "Fit for a Better World" – at Lincoln University in December 2019.

Vision – Fit for a Better World

A report was commissioned from the Lincoln University Research Centre, Agribusiness and Economics Research Unit, to provide a situational analysis of the food and fibre sector in New Zealand.

The New Zealand food and fibre sector: A situational analysis [PDF, 2 MB]

Who to contact

If you have questions about the council, email info@mpi.govt.nz

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