▁Zealand ' s ▁land ▁is ▁a rable ▁( 1 . 7 6 ▁percent ), ▁and ▁permanent ▁cro ps ▁cover ▁ 0 . 2 7 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁land . ▁ ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁is ▁ir rig ated . ▁As ▁the ▁world ' s ▁largest ▁exp orter ▁of ▁sheep , ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁agricult ural ▁industry ▁focus es ▁primarily ▁on ▁past oral ▁far ming , ▁particularly ▁da iry ▁and ▁be ef , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁l amb s . ▁D air y , ▁specifically , ▁is ▁their ▁top ▁export . ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁past oral ▁far ming , ▁fish erman ▁har vest ▁muss els , ▁o yst ers ▁and ▁sal mon , ▁and ▁h ort icult ure ▁far mers ▁grow ▁ki w if ruit , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁pe aches , ▁ne ct ar ines , ▁etc . ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁distance ▁from ▁world ▁mark ets ▁and ▁spatial ▁variation ▁in ▁ra inf all , ▁elev ation ▁and ▁soil ▁quality ▁have ▁defined ▁the ▁ge ography ▁of ▁its ▁agricult ure ▁industry . ▁ ▁As ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁almost ▁ 5 5 ▁percent ▁of ▁New ▁Zealand ' s ▁total ▁land ▁area ▁was ▁being ▁used ▁for ▁far ming , ▁which ▁is ▁standard ▁compared ▁to ▁most ▁developed ▁countries . ▁Three - four th s ▁of ▁it ▁was ▁past oral ▁land ▁using ▁for ▁raising ▁sheep , ▁be ef , ▁de er , ▁etc . ▁The ▁amount ▁of ▁far ml and ▁has ▁decre ased ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁New ▁Zealand '