Beef cattle numbers increased in 2021, while the number of sheep dipped slightly, Stats NZ said today.
Final figures from the 2021 Agricultural Production Survey showed that the number of beef cattle was up by 2 percent (82,000) from the previous year and there was a total of 4 million at 30 June 2021. Total beef exports were $3.6 billion for the year ended 30 June 2021.
"The total number of beef cattle has been increasing steadily since 2016. Just over two-thirds of all beef cattle are farmed in the North Island," agricultural production statistics manager Ana Krpo said.
Sheep numbers down slightly
The number of sheep nationally was slightly down from the previous year at 25.7 million, down 1 percent (296,000). The lambing rate was similar to the previous year, and a total of 22.9 million lambs were tailed, down 1 percent (265,000) from the previous year. The island trends for sheep are different to cattle, with slightly more sheep in the South Island (13 million) than in the North Island (12.7 million).
Dairy numbers show little change
The total number of dairy cows and heifers in milk or calf dropped slightly from the previous year, down 1 percent (32,000) to 4.8 million. There was little change in the total number of dairy replacements (remaining dairy cattle to restock herds) with 1.2 million in total, down 1 percent (9,000) from the previous year. There are more dairy cattle in the North Island (3.7 million) than in the South Island (2.5 million).
Deer numbers
At 30 June 2021 there was a total of 814,000 deer, a decrease of 2 percent (19,000) from the previous year. Most deer (593,000) are in the South Island.
Export products
The total value of export products relating to dairy, meat, and wool categories combined, for the year ended 30 June 2021, was $24.1 billion. The three largest export destinations for these products were China (41 percent), United States of America (9 percent), and Japan (4 percent). The latest trade statistics are available from Overseas merchandise trade: March 2022.
Arable crops
The harvested area of both barley and wheat dropped slightly in the year ended 30 June 2021, while the harvested area of maize grain increased. The predominant use of these crops has been for stock feed, although barley is also used for brewing, and wheat for making bread. During the year ended 30 June 2021, 43,500 hectares of wheat, 44,200 hectares of barley, and 17,500 hectares of maize grain were harvested.
