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Tuesday, 19 May 2015 11:24

NZ’s shrinking sheep flock

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NZ sheep numbers are at their lowest since 1943. NZ sheep numbers are at their lowest since 1943.

New Zealand sheep now tally just 29.8 million – a number not seen since during the Second World War.

Statistics New Zealand figures released earlier this month for the year ended June 2014 show sheep numbers at their lowest since 1943, down almost a million on 2013.

“The number of sheep fell by 3% from 2013,” agriculture statistics manager Neil Kelly said. “The last time the sheep number was below 30 million was back in 1943.”

Canterbury had the sharpest fall, with 255,000 fewer sheep than the year before. Manawatu-Wanganui and Otago are now the largest sheep farming areas, each running 5.3 million.

Meanwhile, dairy cattle numbers rose by about 3% last year, due mainly to increases in numbers in the South Island, says Statistics NZ.

Southland dairy cattle numbers boomed, up 14% on 2013 figures.

But sheep numbers still easily outstripped dairy: with just under 7 million dairy cattle counted at the end of June last year, there were at least four times as many sheep.

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