Dairy Statistics for 2010/11

The annual Dairy NZ dairy statistics make interesting reading showing how the nations cow herd has now passed our population, and production is following with some good grass growing weather helping.

However analysts are predicting short term volatility in prices, as increased production in Australia and the US as well as NZ , has not been matched by increased demand, and even China is easing back on export orders.

Costs of production have also increased rapidly and some large corporate dairy operations in the US are at risk  as feed costs bite. Pressure remains on NZ producers, with the cost and enviromental impact of PKE use, and the increasing compliance charges to be met in running an intensive dairy farm.

Fonterra's buy in to the Clean Streams initiative by announcing conditions that will enforce a 100% waterway exclusion by stock by 2013 is welcomed, and coupled with stricter effluent controls will go some way to improving public perceptions on intensive agriculture.

In 2010/2011 the total number of NZ dairy cows increased by 132,000 to just over 4.5 million cows (4,528,736), an increase of 3 per cent over the previous 09/10 season – whereas the resident human population (at March 31, 2011) increased by an estimated 0.9 per cent to 4,403,000 reports Dairy NZ.

Along with the growth in cow numbers it was also a record year for the average production per cow in the country – up 5 per cent - to an average of 334 kg milksolids per cow. In 2010/11 dairy companies processed 17.3 billion litres of milk ,with this increase being attributed to a combination of more cows milked plus an increase in production per cow, following an exceptionally good 2011 autumn for dairying.

South Island farms have, on average, higher per herd production than herds in the North Island, reflecting a combination of larger herd sizes, a high stocking rate, and high kilograms of milksolids per cow.

For the third consecutive year the total number of herds increased (by 44 to 11,735) and the average herd size (386) increased by 10 cows – a trend consistent over the past 30 seasons during which the average herd size has more than tripled and has increased by more than 100 cows in the last eight seasons.

Summary of figures released in the LIC and DairyNZ produced New Zealand Dairy Statistics 2010/11:

• The total number of herds in the 2010/11 season increased by 44 (to 11,735)
• And, the average herd size increased to 386,  which has tripled in the last 30 years, and has increased by more than 100 cows in the last eight years
• Nationally the number of cows in New Zealand has increased 5.2 per cent over the previous season to 4.5 million
• 9% of herds have 750 or more cows
• Herds with between 700 and 749 cows have the highest production per cow
• A little under 50 per cent (5,677) of herds have between 150 and 349 cows
• A record 3.19 million cows herd tested in 2010/2011
• Holstein Friesian and crossbred cows show highest milksolids (kg) production (herd test statistics) 
•  In the 2010/2011 season 3.3 million cows were mated to artificial breeding.

Key regional statistics:

• Seventy-six per cent of dairy herds are in the North Island, with 30 per cent in the Waikato
• Although South Island dairy herds account for less than one-quarter of the national total (24%), they contain over one-third of all cows
• 25% of all cows are located in the Waikato region, followed by North Canterbury, Taranaki and Southland with 11 per cent each
• The largest average herd size (757) is in North Canterbury
• Farms in the South Island are, on average, larger than those in the North Island (both farm area and cow numbers)
• The smallest herd sizes are in Auckland, Taranaki, and Northland
• Waikato had the highest average milksolids production per hectare in the North (948kg)
• Ashburton had the highest average kg milksolids per effective hectare (1,313)