The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) is focused on growing and protecting New Zealand.

The Government's goal to grow the economy in order to deliver greater prosperity, security and opportunities for all New Zealanders is our key driver. New Zealand needs to lift the long-term performance of the economy and the agriculture, food, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture industries will play a central role in this.

On 1 July 2011, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Fisheries merged to create a single agency spanning the whole of the primary sector. The new ministry became the Ministry for Primary Industries on 30 April 2012.

The benefits of the merger include:

• a stronger and more innovative primary sector, earning more export dollars for New Zealand;
• more integrated strategic policy advice on long-term economic growth from primary production industries;
• greater engagement with iwi;
• enhanced capability in science and risk management;
• more effective interactions with primary sector stakeholders and local government on regulatory issues, biosecurity and food safety.

The outcomes we strive for include:

• Export success is enhanced by the integrity of primary sector products and increasing the awareness of New Zealand’s unique culture and brand
• Exporters have improved access to fast growing and high value markets, and benefit from new export opportunities
• Improved generation of new ideas and their adoption and adaptation by the primary industries, including Maori, is supported by government actions
• The primary industries, including Maori, have greater access to capital and have the skills needed to grow and innovate
• The primary sector, including Maori, maximises the use and productivity of natural resources within environmentally sustainable limits and is resilient to adverse climatic and biosecurity events
• The primary sector is protected from biological risks through the effective operation of the biosecurity and food safety systems

As the government "hub" for the primary sector, we will continue to develop good relationships not only with farmers, primary production and food businesses, but also with tangata whenua, environmental non-governmental organisations, trading partners, across local and central government and the wider community.