While Canterbury's rural electorates re-elected National MPs, there was no clear winner on Saturday night and with nearly 400,000 special votes (or about 15% of votes cast) still to be counted, the outcome remains uncertain.
There were a number of possible scenarios based on election night results, but the most likely outcome was New Zealand First holding the balance of power and working with either the National Party or with the Labour and the Green parties.
''On the face of it, it looks like a good result for the rural sector, but with 15% of the vote still to come in it could change,'' Federated Farmers national president Katie Milne said.
''If it does go Green and Labour, at least we know [New Zealand First leader] Winston [Peters] will be there and he has made it clear he will hold them to account on the water tax and other issues, so it would be an outcome that is doable.''
Ms Milne became Federated Farmers' first woman president earlier this year and said she had plenty of respect for Labour Party leader Jacinda Ardern.
''She's done an amazing job to pull her party up to be in a position where it could form a government in such a short time.
''If she misses out this time and we can get her to listen to the rural voice, it will be awesome in three years' time.''
New Zealand Young Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland said his organisation would work with whichever government was successful ''to attract talent to the rural industries and ensure there's a good future''.
Tasman Young Farmers chairwoman Ash Campbell said she believed there was a good turnout of young, rural voters.
Young, rural Canterbury voters would be looking closely at policies on water quality, mental health, housing and building sporting facilities, she said.
Foundation for Arable Research chairman David Birkett said it was a good election campaign for rural Canterbury, with issues such as water quality and the environment coming to the fore.
''It highlights the fact New Zealand has to have a clean, green image and tourism needs it as much as agriculture and the cities.
''Hopefully, the conversations can continue and we can have some decent, educated debate rather than political point-scoring.''
Federated Farmers South Canterbury president Mark Adams said he would like to see the Green Party willing to work with National, ''as more and more farmers are showing themselves to be 'blue-green'''.
''The biggest frustration is how irrelevant the Green Party is quickly becoming.
''The environment is not just an issue for the left and the social issues they have been highlighting are more mainstream than they seem to realise.''
-By David Hill