The Government's primary growth partnership has turned one.
The strategy, which is a funding collaboration between the Government and industry, aims to invest up to $140 million per year in primary sector research and innovation.
Five grants have been approved, worth a total of $368 million over the next five to seven years, including $164 million from the Government.
A sixth project is due to be approved soon.
Investment advisory panel chair Bill Falconer says they considered 36 applications over the past year.
The first three grants were announced in May for projects planned by the New Zealand Merino Company, the Foundation for Arable Research and the Forest Owners Association.
The meat and dairy industries also had programmes which both focus on improving value chains, approved last month.
Agriculture Minister David Carter says the partnership has exceeded expectations in the first year.
MAF director-general Murray Sherwin says the Ministry of Agriculture & Forestry will work very closely with the successful applicants to make sure they achieve their desired results.
He says the partnership is expected to generate billions of dollars in added value to the New Zealand primary sector and economy.
