New Zealand sees declining livestock numbers, increasing fruit plantings

WELLINGTON, May 5 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's livestock numbers have dropped significantly over the past decade, while fruit-growing has seen strong growth, according to the statistics department Stats NZ on Monday.

New Zealand's national sheep flock stood at 23.6 million as of June 2024, down 21 percent from 2014. Dairy cattle numbers also fell by 13 percent to 5.8 million. Deer herds recorded the steepest decline, dropping 26 percent to 709,000, Stats NZ said.

Beef cattle remained stable at 3.7 million, similar to the total 10 years ago, "bucking the trend of falling livestock," said Stats NZ agricultural statistics spokesperson Tehseen Islam.

The decline in livestock has coincided with a 10 percent reduction in grassland area, now totaling 7.1 million hectares in New Zealand, Islam said.

In contrast, horticulture continues to expand, with kiwifruit plantings up by 32 percent over the decade to reach 14,500 hectares, of which gold kiwifruit making up 57 percent, Stats NZ said.

China remains the top export market for kiwifruit, taking 27 percent of its export value, it said.

Wine grape plantings increased by 11 percent to 37,600 hectares, with Marlborough producing nearly 70 percent of the total, Stats NZ said, adding the United States continues to be the biggest export destination for New Zealand wine.

Apple orchards grew 13 percent to 9,500 hectares, with China being the largest export market for New Zealand apples, it said.

Overall, New Zealand exported 74.1 billion NZ dollars (44.42 billion U.S. dollars) in goods in the year to March 2025. China was the top destination (25 percent), followed by the U.S. (13 percent) and Australia (12 percent), statistics show. ■