Federated Farmers says rural New Zealand has chosen to stick with what it knows during tough economic times.

The National Party overwhelmingly won the weekend’s General Election, and Feds president Bruce Wills says the result will go down well in rural New Zealand, because farmers believe National to be more farming focused.  

"There’s three big areas that Federated Farmers thinks is important for a successful growing agriculture and that’s water, that’s broadband and that’s science.

"And interestingly those three areas are exactly the same areas that National is putting a lot of money and a lot of focus."  

National received just shy of 48 percent of all votes in New Zealand, winning 60 seats and trouncing its main opposition – Labour which received just over 27 percent or just 34 seats.

Mr Wills says with the world’s economy doing it tough, voters were looking for continuity.

"Much of the economy was also looking for some continuity and some stability and I think it was always going to be hard for Labour or a new party coming in when you’ve got much of the world teetering on the edge of another recession."

However, Labour did have some success, with its agricultural spokesman Damien O’Connor winning back his West Coast seat by 2287 votes.

Mr O’Connor was the only Labour MP to win a seat off a National candidate at this year’s General Election.