Livestock numbers continue to fall, including a 21% drop in sheep numbers over the past decade, Statistics NZ data shows.
There were 23.6 million sheep in New Zealand in June 2024, a fall of 6.2m from 2014.
Dairy cattle numbers also declined, falling by 861,000, or 13%, to 5.8m, over the same period, agricultural statistics spokesman Tehseen Islam said.
Beef cattle bucked the trend, remaining at 3.7m in 2024, similar to numbers in 2014.
Deer had the greatest fall, down 250,000 to 709,000 deer, or 26% in the same period.
Grassland, excluding tussock, across New Zealand was 7.1m hectares in June 2024, after falling by 809,000ha, or 10%, in the past decade.
"The drop in grassland coincides with large decreases in livestock being farmed on that land."
New Zealand exported $74.1 billion worth of merchandise goods to the rest of the world in the year ended March 2025. The top three destinations were China (25%), the United States (13%), and Australia (12%).
Agriculture continues to be a mainstay of New Zealand’s export industry.
• Milk powder, butter, and cheese at 29% ($21.8b)
• Meat and edible offal at 12% ($9.2b)
• Fruit at 7% ($5.1b)
• Logs, wood, and wood articles at 6% ($4.8b). — APL
