The nations dairy statistics make interesting reading showing the spectacular herd and industry growth over the last 10 years.
It also shows the importance of reliable grass growth generated by irrigation water in Canterbury in producing the highest levels of production.
No wonder Fonterra is opening another dairy factory in Darfield, as this is where it appears future productive capacity lies.
The figures also show the rapid development of dairying in Southland which now houses 10% of the nation's cows.
This province has seen cow numbers increase by 100,000 in the last two years and 40,000ha converted.
Unbelievably, while this province converts from sheep to dairy the two Meat Co-Ops squabble about the future direction of sheep and beef.
There may be little stock left to fight over, unless these two companies unite and return profits back to the farmers again.
The nation's milking cow population has overtaken the human population - the 4.4 million cows now outnumber the 4.39 million New Zealanders. Dairy statistics released today by animal genetics company Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) showed that the national herd -- up 144,000 animals on the previous season -- boosted milkflows to 16.5 billion litres. This milk contained 1.44 billion kg of milksolids, with the South Island accounting for 39.3 percent of total milksolids produced.
The production per cow dropped by 1.5 percent in the 2010 season to an average of 318kg milksolids. The highest average production per dairy herd (280,935kg of milksolids), per hectare (1283kg) and per cow (384kg) were recorded in North Canterbury. South Island farms have, on average, more than twice the per-herd production than average herds in the North Island, reflecting a combination of larger herd sizes, a higher stocking rate, and high kilograms of milksolids per cow.
Total herd numbers, increased by 73 to 11,691,and the average herd size continued to increase to 376. Nearly half (49 percent) of all herds - 5762 herd - had more than 299 cows, and 3 percent - 400 herds - had over 1000 cows.
24 Comments
PM- we are now a nation of cows ! HA - what a 100% shity, stinky economy !
“ The NZ100% pure Cowpat- Factory ” - a proud NZcompany - 100% funded by the NZtaxpayer.
The risk of destoying sustainable NZfarming, NZeco tourism our NZenvironment and our NZhealth is growing.
PM - I think you really don’t know, how many billions of $ we have to spend in the next few years cleaning up this country in many aspect of life/ business ?
In stead of bloody creating an artificial financial South Pacific hub you better get more practical and learn how to use a broom. ..and PM prepare some sandbags too !
It is time for a “100%NZpure Economic Model” !
When were you last way down south? The Mackenzie country is probably beyond repair. The ruination is almost complete. That whole area should have been declared a national park a long time ago but it's too late now. Such devastation just so a tiny minority can get even wealthier.
That is total crap alen....scroll down and search the rural section...have a read of the comment there from the farmers in that region....http://www.interest.co.nz/rural-news/turning-imposium-symposium
Yes, let's take the word of the farmers. Sure.
The Mackenzie country now looks like CRAP. It most closely resembles the Waikato plains. All of the locals I spoke to while I was down there said the same thing which is that the water has been polluted by dairying. These aren't crazed greenies, just people working in shops and motels, etc. My memories of the Mackenzie country were ones of beautiful wide open spaces covered with tussock, but they have been spoiled by new memories of lurid green pasture, and enormous pivot irrigators, and cows and massive sheds for cows, and last but not least the stench of cow pats.
People should be prosecuted for what has been done down there. Southland is not much better.
That's a pretty weird comment there Trev! You'd think alen would know how bad it was after actually being there.
And you'd think all those SI people living in the area that alen spoke to about it would know as well.
Not having been down that way in many years I couldn't say what it is like now, but I cannot imagine how anyone decent and/or intelligent is willing to think dairy farms in the high country could ever be a good thing.
" actually being there"......wow....fair go Magnum, you can see it's just the latest greeny fad from people who demand their milk be fresh and that the cheese be cheap...all available within a few minutes drive in their gas burners along the tarmac roads wher e they can park up on the tarmac covered land!......Let's hear from them about their own bloody neighbourhoods and what they are going to do about the environmental damage they are doing at their place.......we listen and we wait.....not a bloody peep.
And how do you know, Malarkey, what a farmers butt smells like?
Wolly makes a valid point - some non farmers are quick and vocal to pass comment on their views of farming and the environment and yet the silence from these same individuals is defeaning when it come to the part urbanisation plays in polluting the environment.
Mate what about the people who live there who are complaining about the dairy mess? The "not crazed greenies" that Alen spoke of who work in the shops and hotels and all the rest? Maybe they know what's going on since they live there and were probably there before all the recent dairy developments and so probably know if their own water supplies are being spoiled by dairy effluent.
Or are they all part of the great greenie conspiracy to deprive struggling farmers of their annual 3 month overseas holiday and the wife's new upgrade Porsche Cayenne?
You know what Wolly? I hope you are a farmer or a retired farmer because if you are not your fanatical defense of farmers is just plain weird!
3 month....stuff that....we have at least 6 each year and the german buzzbox is kept in case we get townies turning up...the real workhorses are 5 litre 4wd diesels...you can keep your toys. We fly out in our own turboprops from the strip out the back and it's either on up to the batch in the Sounds or to CHCH to jump on a burner to the Gold Coast where we have a small ranch just out of town.
this can be definitely be attributed to the proliferation of dairy farms in this area--this water come.s directly from the kakanui river
http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/139522/contamination-affects-new-plant
We welcome your comments below. If you are not already registered, please register to comment.
Remember we welcome robust, respectful and insightful debate. We don't welcome abusive or defamatory comments and will de-register those repeatedly making such comments. Our current comment policy is here.