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Summary
- Even though beef cattle have not been traditionally very important to the NZ economy, it continues to grow since 2016. This year ending June 2020 data showed an increase in beef cattle by 2 per cent.
- Dairy cattle demonstrates a decline in 2020 by above half a million, but export of dairy products remains stable standing at NZ$16 billion this year.
- Sheep cattle also reflects a decreasing trend, but agriculture yield of wheat and barley per hectare increased.
Agricultural production survey in its provisional figures has shown that beef cattle has grown by 2 per cent, to 4 million in 2020, according to June data. Correspondingly, beef exports have also shown an increase to NZ$ 3.8 from NZ$ 3.3 billion in the previous year.
Prices of beef which remained high has been a great support for the rise in beef cattle. Because of the prices, the breeding of beef cows and heifers in calf could be encouraged and supported.
The June data revealed that even steers have risen substantially. The Agricultural production Statistics manager Mrs Krpo pointed out that there are a lot more steers (male cattle raised for beef) than there were a few years back.
She said that since 2016, i.e., in four years, there has been an increase of 18 per cent in the steers and 12 per cent in beef breeding herd.
No Dip in Exports of Dairy
National dairy herd and sheep have continued to fall in the past few years. The numbers of dairy cattle were the highest in 2014, at 6.7 million, but has been dropping steadily to 6.1 million in 2020.
Image Source: Shutterstock
In 2014, the annual value of dairy product exports was almost NZ$16 billion but fell to NZ$12 billion in the subsequent years. This year it has returned to NZ$16 billion. So, the export volume has not suffered a set back despite less dairy herd.
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Sheep Shows Decline
The June data also revealed that sheep also showed a decline by 2 per cent this year. However, the value of sheep meat exports did not decline. It touched NZ$ 4 billion up from NZ$ 3.8 billion last year.
Interestingly, New Zealand has only 5 sheep per person at present as compared with 1982, when there were 22 sheep per person.
Data says 2020 was great for wheat and barley crops
This year was good for wheat and barley. Their yields were good per hectare though the hectares of land available for cultivation had reduced marginally.
