NZ sheep numbers at lowest level since 1943

Dry conditions in the northern North Island and changes in land use in the South Island saw sheep numbers fall by 3.2 per cent over the 2013-14 season. Photo / Thinkstock

The old joke that there's nothing in New Zealand but sheep may have run its course, as stock numbers hit lows not seen since during the Second World War.

Figures released from Statistics New Zealand today showed sheep numbers were at their lowest since 1943 at the end of last June.

Agriculture statistics manager Neil Kelly said the number had fallen by almost a million compared with the previous year's figures, to just 29.8 million sheep.

"The number of sheep fell by 3 per cent from 2013.

"The last time the sheep number was below 30 million was back in 1943."

The region which had the sharpest fall was Canterbury, with 255,000 fewer sheep than the year before.

Manawatu-Wanganui and Otago were the most significant sheep farming regions in the country, each boasting 5.3 million sheep.

Meanwhile, dairy cattle numbers rose by 3 per cent.

This was mainly due to increases of stock in the South Island, said Stats NZ.

Southland in particular saw a boom in dairy cattle numbers, with an increase of 14 per cent compared with 2013 figures.

However despite fluctuations, the number of dairy cattle was still easily outstripped by sheep in New Zealand.

With just under 7 million dairy cattle counted at the end of June last year, there were more than four times as many sheep in the country.

According to Stats NZ figures for the human population at the end of June last year, there would have been enough sheep for every New Zealander to have six of their own.