Pastoral Farming

Sector Overview

As Aotearoa New Zealand’s only subtropical region, Taitokerau Northland’s warm climate and long growing season provide a natural competitive advantage for pastoral farming an year-round production. The region’s agricultural landscape is dominated by dairy, beef and sheep farming enterprises, together contributing over $580 million to regional GDP in 2024 and employing around 3500 people.  As a mature and well-established sector, pastoral farming forms the backbone of Northland’s rural economy, combining deep industry expertise with a growing focus on sustainability, productivity, and value-added diversification. 

Northland’s pastoral sector is supported by a strong downstream processing base, including large meat works  in the Far North (AFFCO Moerewa) and Kaipara (Silver Fern Farms Dargaville), and two major dairy processing facilities operated by Fonterra at Kauri (Whangārei District) and Maungaturoto (Kaipara District). Together, these operations anchor the region’s meat and dairy product manufacturing, producing a diverse range of premium beef, lamb, and dairy goods — including high-value milk powders, specialty ingredients, and consumer products — for both domestic and international markets. Collectively, these activities contributed  almost $110 million to regional GDP and provided employment for over 1200 people  in 2024.  

Collectively pastoral farming and associated manufacturing accounts for almost 35% of the total value of Taitokerau Northland’s exports (~$790million), reflecting both scale and diversity across dairy, beef and sheep production systems. Northland is one of the few regions in New Zealand that still processes sheep locally, enabling it to maintain complete value chains across meat and dairy.  

If you want to explore opportunities in the agriculture sector within Northland contact our Investment Team