New Zealand-Big drop in lamb numbers.

NEW ZEALAND.

LAMB NUMBERS DROP 23%.

There have been massive falls in the lamb numbers of New Zealand, the drop is estimated at 23%, according to the Meat and Wool New Zealand office.

The results of drought and farmers switching to the dairy industry, have cost the sheep trade 4.3 million sheep in the last year.

The number of lambs available for export, will be down by 6 million lambs or 23% of normal exports. This drop is double, the worse recorded drop in the years 1988-1989.

Ewe numbers estimated at 23.6 million, the lowest numbers since 1952.

There have been over 300 large farms, convert from sheep to dairy in the last year, costing over one million sheep.

The drought cut deeply into replacement numbers of hogget’s, going on to become ewes.

The fall in the NZ dollar, has seen prices increase by $9 per head on currency exchange alone.