Agriculture is New Zealand's largest industry and export earner. For the year ended March 2002, agricultural exports were valued at over $14.8 billion.
Agriculture includes farming (for example, sheep and cattle) and horticulture (for example, fruit, vegetables and flowers).
Sheep farming is the most popular type of farming in New Zealand. Since the 1970s, new types of livestock like deer and goats have also become popular.
In 2002, Statistics New Zealand, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, carried out the 2002 Agricultural Census. The provisional results are available now.