Number of dairy cattle drops for first time since 2005

Number of dairy cattle drops for first time since 2005 – Media release

15 December 2015

The number of dairy cattle has dropped for the first time since 2005, Statistics New Zealand said today. Latest figures show a total of 6.4 million dairy cattle at the end of June 2015.

"We have 300,000 fewer dairy cattle than in 2014, which is a reversal of the trend of increases in the last 10 years," business indicators senior manager Neil Kelly said. "Both the national dairy milking herd and the replacement herd have declined. This comes at a time of falling international prices and lower milk solid payouts."

In the same one-year period, sheep, beef, and deer numbers also fell. The number of sheep declined by 300,000, to a total of 29.5 million as at June 2015.

These provisional figures are from the 2015 Agricultural Production Survey, which Statistics NZ conducted in partnership with the Ministry for Primary Industries.

This release covers key livestock numbers, and forestry harvesting and planting information. Results for other variables will be released as they become available. Final results, including more detailed commentary and regional statistics, will be available in May 2016.

Ends

For more information about these statistics:

• Visit Agricultural Production Statistics: June 2015 (provisional)

• Open the attached files
AgriculturalProductionJun15prov.pdf
apsjun15provtables.xlsx

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