Fewer dairy cattle and sheep registered in NZ

There are fewer dairy cattle, sheep, and deer in New Zealand’s (NZ) paddocks, in accordance with the ultimate outcomes of the five-yearly Agricultural Manufacturing Census 2022 that Stats NZ launched this week.

Stats NZ is comparable company to Eire’s Central Statistics Workplace (CSO).

The 2022 survey of farming manufacturing and practices reveals small decreases within the nationwide dairy herd and sheep flock, with dairy cattle numbers down 1% from the earlier 12 months.

Normal supervisor of financial and atmosphere insights, Jason Attewell stated: “The overall variety of dairy cattle was 6.1 million at June 2022. That is 8% decrease than in 2014 when the entire dairy cattle herd peaked at 6.7 million.”

Whereas the dairy cattle herd has decreased in each islands, the North Island has seen a a lot bigger fall.

Throughout the North Island dairy cattle numbers fell by 11% (431,000) in contrast with 2014 (when dairy cattle numbers peaked). In distinction South Island dairy cattle numbers fell solely 5% (131,000) in contrast with 2014.

Sheep and beef in NZ

The NZ nationwide sheep flock tallied 25.3 million at June 2022. This was a drop of 400,000 sheep in contrast with the earlier 12 months, representing a 2% lower.

Regardless of complete sheep numbers persevering with to fall, there have been 22 million lambs tailed within the 2021-2022 12 months.

“The ratio of sheep to individuals dropped beneath 5/1 in 2022, for the primary time because the 1850s, when nationwide sheep numbers had been first recorded,” Attewell continued.

“In 1982, New Zealand sheep numbers famously sat at 22 per individual. Australia presently has thrice as many sheep as New Zealand, although its ratio is just round three sheep to each Aussie.”

The variety of beef cattle has stabilised round 3.9 million. Beef cattle numbers, which peaked at 6.3 million within the Seventies, totalled 3.5 million in 2016, a historic low.

Extra lately, the quantity has stabilised and totalled 3.9 million in each 2019 and June 2022.

The Agricultural Manufacturing Census 2022 gives an in depth snapshot of New Zealand’s manufacturing and practices.

The gathering of knowledge from farms, orchards, and forests throughout New Zealand provides a clearer image of its largest export sector, major manufacturing.