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Beef up, sheep down, is the simple message from Beef + Lamb NZ’s latest data on the state of the national sheep flock and beef herd.
The report shows that in the last year beef cattle numbers are up by 2.6% (or 97,000 head) nationwide. Of this total 3.8 million, just over one million are breeding cows or heifers.
The biggest increase in beef numbers was in the South Island – up 4.6% while the North Island was up 1.8%. Most of the increase in beef numbers in the South Island was in Otago and Southland, while the East Coast and Taranaki/Manawatu were the main contributors to the rise in cattle numbers in the North Island.
Despite beef cattle numbers being up, surprisingly the number of breeding cows declined in the last year by 1.4%. But against the national trend there was an increase in Otago. BLNZ predicts calving percentages for the current season will be in line with those of 2018.
In sheep, a minuscule increase of 0.4% in the national flock is due to greater hogget numbers which rose 3.4% to 9.55m. Set against that was a drop of 1.1% in the number of breeding ewes (16.97m) held on farms.
BLNZ says it has been a great season for lambs: the tally is down 570,000 or 2.4% on last season.
The North Island lamb crop is expected to drop by 1.8% and the South Island crop by 3%.
Recent widespread autumn rain will have triggered the germination of subterranean clover seeds, and the resulting seedlings should be allowed to reach the 3–4 trifoliate leaf stage before grazing, says Beef+Lamb NZ.
A Māori-owned agribusiness helping to turn a long-standing animal welfare and waste issue into a high-value protein stream for the dairy and red meat sectors wants more industry support.
The vineyards at Pyramid Farm in Marlborough’s Avon Valley have never been run of the mill, with plantings that follow the natural contours of the land, 250 metres above sea level.
A hub farm in each of Beef + Lamb NZ’s seven regions and more focus groups are being rolled out for the red meat sector this year.
Alliance Group has secured greater access for chilled beef exports to China, following approval for two of its processing plants to supply the market.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
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