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	50px	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	50px	25 August 1931	28 September 1932	Conservative
	Walter Elliot	75px	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	75px	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	75px	8 June 2001	27 March 2002	Labour