Minister right Guy for the position

Nathan Guy.

Primary sector bosses rate new Minister for Primary Industries Nathan Guy highly and expect him to progress up the Cabinet rankings.

Many rated his performance since taking over the portfolio in January as either "very impressive" or "extremely impressive".

Despite a wooden display in front of the media on the issue, meat company executives were impressed with the newly minted minister's handling of the hold-up of meat at Chinese wharves just weeks into the job.

Silver Fern Farms' Keith Cooper says Guy's criticism of officials for botching documentation accompanying the consignments showed he wasn't prepared to cover for a lack of performance from his department.

"I am privy to the underlying detail and he has been let down. I think he handled the situation well."

ANZCO's Sir Graeme Harrison says losing his Director-General - Wayne McNee who is jumping ship to head up dairy breeding outfit LIC - was another early bouncer Guy has had to deal with: "But so far I think he is showing all the right signs."

CEOs outside the pastoral industries say the man who was a Horowhenua dairy farmer before entering Parliament has been doing the rounds and is making the effort to understand their industries and the challenges they face.

The only bum note for Guy was the feeling that his bosses shouldn't have given a portfolio covering such a big chunk of the economy and one of the biggest government departments to such a junior minister.

Another was disappointed that he hived off responsibility for forestry to colleague Jo Goodhew.