AgFirst

What AgFirst does

AgFirst is a New Zealand-based agricultural, horticultural, and engineering consultancy firm founded in 1995 and headquartered at Waikato Innovation Park in Hamilton. It delivers advisory services to farmers, growers, and government entities across all regions of New Zealand through a nationwide network of 12+ regional offices and more than 60 consultants covering both the North and South Islands. Its service portfolio spans six integrated disciplines: Agriculture (dairy, sheep, beef, deer, goat), Horticulture (pipfruit, grapes, kiwifruit, summer fruit), Environmental, Māori Agribusiness, Engineering (irrigation, effluent, drainage), and Ag Technology consulting, supplemented by property supervision and farm management for resident and absentee owners.

The firm monetizes primarily through professional services engagements — quote-based consulting delivered directly by regional consultants who travel to client sites. It has no software product, no disclosed proprietary technology platform, and no public pricing. AgFirst supplements fee-for-service work with government and industry-funded research, including co-funded projects with the Ministry for Primary Industries under the Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures programme (e.g., the 2021–2023 Tile Drains study) and ongoing Callaghan Innovation grants. The firm also produces proprietary research publications such as the annual Waikato–Bay of Plenty Dairy Financial Survey (continuous since 2014) and the Future Farm Systems "Path to 2050" white paper, and references an internal "extensive database of farm physical and financial performance" used to inform advice.

AgFirst's customer base is structurally diversified across primary producers (dairy, sheep & beef, horticulture, Māori agribusinesses), environmental and compliance clients, engineering infrastructure clients, and corporate and government entities. Distribution is exclusively domestic New Zealand via direct, field-based consultants, with no international footprint, no digital self-serve channel, and no app or API surface. Ownership is private and management-operated; the board is chaired by Erica van Reenen with CEO James Allen, and no external investors, parent company, or M&A activity are disclosed.

Name

AgFirst

Legal name

AgFirst

Website

https://agfirst.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AgFirst is a New Zealand agricultural, horticultural, and engineering consultancy that delivers on-farm advisory services across dairy, drystock, horticulture, environmental, engineering, and Māori agribusiness to farmers, growers, and government clients via 12+ regional offices and 60+ consultants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural & Horticultural Consulting

NAICS

Farm Management Services (115116), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Capital Projects & Farm Expansion Advisory (Feasibility, Site Planning, ROI) (AFACAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG / Carbon & Conservation Program Advisory (AFACAJAF), Yield Optimization & Crop Performance Consulting (AFACABAC)

Keywords

• Agricultural consulting
• Farm advisory services
• Horticulture consulting
• Agricultural engineering
• Environmental advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Te Araroa

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Agricultural Consulting Services: Professional consulting services to farmers, growers, and agricultural businesses across New Zealand covering dairy, sheep, beef, deer, goat farming, horticulture, environmental compliance, engineering, and Māori agribusiness. Revenue derived from client engagements for advisory, planning, compliance, and project delivery services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AgFirst is a New Zealand agricultural, horticultural, and engineering consultancy that delivers advisory and professional services to farmers, growers, corporate clients, and government entities. Its core work spans six consulting disciplines — Agriculture, Horticulture, Environmental, Māori Agribusiness, Engineering, and Ag Technology — supported by property supervision, farm management, and recurring research outputs such as the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Dairy Financial Survey and the Future Farm Systems Research Programme. Services are delivered face-to-face via 12 regional offices and 60+ consultants across New Zealand.

Product overview

AgFirst is a New Zealand-based agricultural consultancy firm offering a unified portfolio of consulting services rather than a software product. The core service offering comprises six interconnected consulting disciplines: Agriculture, Horticulture, Environmental, Māori Agribusiness, Engineering, and Ag Technology consulting. These services are delivered through a nationwide network of over 60 regional consultants who provide advisory support across farm gate, corporate, and international levels. The firm also produces proprietary research publications including the annual Waikato-Bay of Plenty Dairy Financial Survey series (spanning 2014-2025) and specialized research projects like the Tile Drains study. Supporting services include property supervision, farm management, and access to an extensive farm performance database. The company is structured as a network of regional offices across New Zealand, with executive leadership including a CEO and regional directors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Agriculture Consulting Advisory services for dairy, sheep, beef, deer, and goat farming operations, including farm physical and financial performance analysis, delivered to New Zealand farmers and rural businesses.
• Horticulture Consulting Expert consultancy for horticultural operations focused on production excellence and practical solutions across pipfruit, grapes, kiwifruit, and summer fruit sectors in New Zealand.
• Environmental Consulting Services supporting farmers, industry, and government to understand the relationship between farm systems, environmental outcomes, and broader expectations of land management.
• Māori Agribusiness Consulting Specialized consulting services supporting Māori-owned properties and agribusiness operations with industry-leading knowledge and solutions, including property supervision and farm management tailored to whenua/governance considerations.
• Engineering Consulting Agricultural engineering services covering dairy effluent wastewater treatment, land drainage, horticultural and pastoral irrigation, wastewater treatment, and water reticulation for New Zealand farming operations.
• Ag Technology Consulting Advisory services on agricultural technology solutions and digital tools for the New Zealand primary sector.
• Property Supervision and Farm Management Property supervision and farm management services for both resident and absentee farm owners across New Zealand, including governance, HR, compliance, and financial planning support.
• Waikato-Bay of Plenty Dairy Financial Survey Annual financial survey providing in-depth analysis of the financial health of dairy farms across Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions, with reports published from 2014 to 2025.
• Tile Drains Research Project MPI SFFF and industry co-funded three-year research project (2021-2023) investigating horticultural tile drain discharge impact on water quality.
• Future Farm Systems Research Programme: The Path to 2050 White paper outlining a roadmap for how farming in Aotearoa New Zealand can evolve sustainably, efficiently, and resiliently.

Quantifiable outcome

• $11.60 return for every dollar invested through Extension 350 programme in Northland

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry co-funding agricultural research projects including the Tile Drains project through Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures (SFFF) fund. MPI partners with AgFirst on industry research and development initiatives.
• Industry Groups and Farmer-Led ProjectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgFirst consultants work with various industry groups and farmer-led initiatives including Northland Dairy Focus Farm, Beef Profit from Pasture, and Northland Partner Farms projects.
• Government AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgFirst partners with government to deliver research, technical expertise, and policy support. The company provides consulting services supporting government agricultural and environmental objectives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BakerAg: New Zealand agricultural consultancy offering farm advisory, business planning, and environmental services to sheep, beef, and dairy farmers. Comparable to AgFirst in targeting NZ primary sector clients with similar professional advisory services.
• Brown Glassford & Co: New Zealand agribusiness consultancy with services spanning farm advisory, accounting, and rural valuation. Comparable to AgFirst in serving NZ farmers with multi-disciplinary professional services.
• AbacusBio: New Zealand-based agribusiness consulting firm specializing in animal breeding, genetics, and farm systems advice. Highly comparable to AgFirst as a domestic NZ ag consultancy serving similar dairy, sheep, and beef farmer segments with technical advisory services.
• Perrin Ag Consultants: NZ-based agricultural consultancy providing farm advisory, environmental, and farm management services across pastoral farming. Direct competitor to AgFirst in the NZ farmer advisory market with overlapping service offerings and customer base.
• Macfarlane Rural Business: NZ-focused agribusiness consultancy providing farm management, succession planning, and financial advisory to farmers. Closely comparable to AgFirst in offering integrated farm-level consulting across NZ regions.

Emerging players

• Scion: NZ Crown Research Institute focused on forestry and wood-based bioeconomy research. Partial overlap with AgFirst's environmental and land-use advisory, particularly around sustainability and farm diversification.
• Landcare Research (Manaaki Whenua): Crown Research Institute providing environmental and land management research relevant to NZ agriculture. Comparable to AgFirst in environmental and sustainability advisory work, with deeper research capability but less farm-level commercial consulting.

Broad incumbents

• Rabobank New Zealand: Global agribusiness bank with a strong NZ presence providing farmer advisory, research publications, and sector analysis. Overlaps with AgFirst in serving NZ farming clients with research-backed financial and operational guidance.
• KPMG New Zealand Agribusiness: Global professional services firm with a dedicated NZ agribusiness advisory practice. Competes with AgFirst on larger corporate and government engagements while operating with broader industry coverage rather than AgFirst's pure-play farming focus.
• Deloitte New Zealand Agribusiness: Global consulting firm with NZ agribusiness advisory capability serving corporate and government clients. Overlaps with AgFirst in government-facing research and policy advisory work but at a different scale and breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AgFirstNZ
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7NqDUpF1
• Facebookfacebook.com/AgFirstNZ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agfirst
• Instagraminstagram.com/agfirstnz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about AgFirst