Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food
The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was a United Kingdom cabinet position, responsible for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The post was originally named President of the Board of Agriculture and was created in 1889. In 1903 an Act was passed to transfer to the new-styled Board of Agriculture and Fisheries certain powers and duties relating to the fishing industry, and the post was renamed President of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries. In 1919 it was renamed Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. In 1954 the separate position of Minister of Food was merged into the post and it was renamed Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Successive Prime Ministers asked the Minister to upgrade the Ministry to a Department of State taking the title 'Secretary of State', but all refused.
On 8 June 2001, the Ministry merged with Secretary of State for the Environment into the office of Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. However, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food was not formally abolished until The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (Dissolution) Order 2002 (S.I. 2002/794) came into force on 27 March 2002. Until the Dissolution Order also made the necessary amendments to the law when it did come into force, many statutory functions were still vested in the holder of the office of Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, rather in the Secretary of State at large. For that reason, in a final twist, Margaret Beckett had to be appointed formally as the last ever Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food as well as becoming the first Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Presidents of the Board of Agriculture, 1889–1903
| Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left office | Political party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henry Chaplin |  |
9 September 1889 | 11 August 1892 | Conservative | |
| Herbert Gardner |  |
25 August 1892 | 21 June 1895 | Liberal | |
| Walter Long |  |
4 July 1895 | 16 November 1900 | Conservative | |
| Robert William Hanbury |  |
16 November 1900 | 28 April 1903 | Conservative | |
Presidents of the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, 1903–1919
| Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left office | Political party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| William Onslow The Earl of Onslow |
 |
19 May 1903 | 12 March 1905 | Conservative | |
| Hon. Ailwyn Fellowes |  |
12 March 1905 | 4 December 1905 | Conservative | |
| Robert Wynn-Carington The Earl Carrington |
 |
10 December 1905 | 23 October 1911 | Liberal | |
| Walter Runciman |  |
23 October 1911 | 6 August 1914 | Liberal | |
| Auberon Herbert The Lord Lucas |
 |
6 August 1914 | 25 May 1915 | Liberal | |
| William Palmer The Earl of Selborne |
 |
25 May 1915 | 11 July 1916 | Conservative | |
| David Lindsay The Earl of Crawford |
 |
11 July 1916 | 10 December 1916 | Conservative | |
| Rowland Prothero | |
10 December 1916 | 15 August 1919 | Conservative | |
Ministers of Agriculture and Fisheries, 1919–1954
| Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left office | Political party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Lee The Lord Lee of Fareham |
 |
15 August 1919 | 13 February 1921 | Conservative | |
| Arthur Griffith-Boscawen |  |
13 February 1921 | 24 October 1922 | Conservative | |
| Sir Robert Sanders, Bt |  |
24 October 1922 | 22 January 1924 | Conservative | |
| Noel Buxton |  |
22 January 1924 | 3 November 1924 | Labour | |
| Hon. E. F. L. Wood |  |
6 November 1924 | 4 November 1925 | Conservative | |
| Hon. Walter Guinness |  |
4 November 1925 | 4 June 1929 | Conservative | |
| Noel Buxton | |
7 June 1929 | 5 June 1930 | Labour | |
| Christopher Addison |  |
5 June 1930 | 24 August 1931 | Labour | |
| Sir John Gilmour, Bt |  |
25 August 1931 | 28 September 1932 | Conservative | |
| Walter Elliot |  |
28 September 1932 | 29 October 1936 | Conservative | |
| William Morrison |  |
29 October 1936 | 29 January 1939 | Conservative | |
| Sir Reginald Dorman-Smith | |
29 January 1939 | 14 May 1940 | Conservative | |
| Robert Hudson | |
14 May 1940 | 26 July 1945 | Conservative | |
| Tom Williams | |
3 August 1945 | 26 October 1951 | Labour | |
| Sir Thomas Dugdale, Bt | |
31 October 1951 | 20 July 1954 | Conservative | |
| Derick Heathcoat-Amory |  |
28 July 1954 | 18 October 1954 | Conservative | |
Ministers of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, 1954–2001
| Name | Portrait | Entered office | Left office | Political party | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Derick Heathcoat-Amory | |
18 October 1954 | 6 January 1958 | Conservative | |
| Hon. John Hare | |
6 January 1958 | 27 July 1960 | Conservative | |
| Christopher Soames | |
27 July 1960 | 16 October 1964 | Conservative | |
| Fred Peart | |
16 October 1964 | 6 April 1968 | Labour | |
| Cledwyn Hughes | |
6 April 1968 | 19 June 1970 | Labour | |
| James Prior | |
20 June 1970 | 5 November 1972 | Conservative | |
| Joseph Godber | |
5 November 1972 | 4 March 1974 | Conservative | |
| Fred Peart | |
5 March 1974 | 10 September 1976 | Labour | |
| Hon. John Silkin | |
10 September 1976 | 4 May 1979 | Labour | |
| Peter Walker | |
5 May 1979 | 11 June 1983 | Conservative | |
| Michael Jopling | |
11 June 1983 | 13 June 1987 | Conservative | |
| John MacGregor | |
13 June 1987 | 24 July 1989 | Conservative | |
| John Gummer |  |
24 July 1989 | 27 May 1993 | Conservative | |
| Gillian Shephard | |
27 May 1993 | 20 July 1994 | Conservative | |
| Hon. William Waldegrave |  |
20 July 1994 | 5 July 1995 | Conservative | |
| Hon. Douglas Hogg |  |
5 July 1995 | 2 May 1997 | Conservative | |
| Jack Cunningham | |
3 May 1997 | 27 July 1998 | Labour | |
| Nick Brown | |
27 July 1998 | 8 June 2001 | Labour | |
| Margaret Beckett |  |
8 June 2001 | 27 March 2002 | Labour | |