Sheep and dairy cow numbers rise
NEW ZEALAND - Sheep and dairy cattle numbers have increased since last year, while beef cattle numbers have stayed much the same and the farmed deer population has fallen.It says sheep numbers topped 40 million at the end of June this year - the first time they've increased two years in a row since they started declining from their peak of more than 70 million in the early 1980s.
The number of lambs tailed increased 2% to almost 34 million. Dairy cow numbers rose by 3% to more than five million. Deer numbers fell by 6% to 1.6 million, reflecting depressed returns in the industry.
Source: Radio New Zealand