Dairy statistics released for 2008-2009
The New Zealand dairy industry is showing signs of strong recovery following the widespread and sustained drought in 2007/08 with a 9.7% increase in milksolids processed in the 2008/09 season.
In the 2008/09 season 16.0 billion litres of milk containing 1.39 billion kilograms of milksolids was produced by New Zealand dairy companies, up from the previous season’s 14.75 billion litres of milk processed, containing 1.27 billion kilograms of milksolids.
Similarly production per, herd, per hectare and per cow in 2008/09 also is up on last season. The average milksolids per effective hectare in 2008/09 (921 kg) was 5.4% higher than the previous (drought –affected) season at 873 kg. Production per cow increased by a similar percentage in 2008/09 to an average of 323 kg milksolids (comprising 184 kg milkfat and 139 kg protein).
In real terms, the cost of purchasing farms has doubled, since 2002 (at $35,143 per hectare and $51 per kilogram of milksolids). With the average sale price of dairy farms ($3.27 million) increasing 28.5% in 2008.
Figures released in the New Zealand Dairy Statistics 2008/09 document, released today by LIC (Livestock Improvement Corporation) and DairyNZ show:
· Nationally there was a slight increase in the number of herds. The total number of herds in the 2008/09 season increased by 182 (to 11,618) bucking a trend that began more than 30 seasons earlier where total herd numbers declined each year at a rate on average of 176 herds per year.
· Consistent with the trend for the past 30 seasons, the average herd size increased to 366, an increase of 15 on the previous season. The average herd size 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 6.0% over the previous season to 4.253 million.
· Half of all herds have 300 or more cows, 21.3% have 500 or more cows, 15% have between 200 and 249 and 58% have between 100 and 349 cows.
· In 2008/09 5,783 herds had 300 or more cows and 2,475 had 500 or more cows.
· The majority of dairy herds are located in the North Island (77%). The greatest concentration of herds is in the South Auckland region (30.8%). Herd size in the North island averages 314.
· One third of all dairy cows are located in the South Island, however, South Island dairy herds account for about one-quarter of the national herd total. There are more than 1.4 million cows in the South Island.
· The largest average herds can be found in North Canterbury (723) and the average herd size in the South Island continues to increase (currently 546).
· Farms in the South Island are on average larger than those in the North Island, in terms of both farm area and cow numbers.
· The highest average production per herd, and per hectare was recorded in North Canterbury at 255,842 kilograms of milksolids.
· There are now 11,618 dairy herds in New Zealand.
· In 2008/09 more than 3 million cows were herd-tested. The percentage of total herds and total cows using herd testing remained steady at 73.9% and 71.5% respectively.
· Holstein Friesian and Cross-bred cows show highest milksolids (Kg) production (herd test statistics).
· Over 3.16 million cows were mated to AB in the 2008/09 season.
· Holstein-Friesian is the prevalent breed in every region except Taranaki, where Holstein-Friesian/Jersey crossbreed is prevalent.
· 36% of all milkers are sharemilkers and 58% of all sharemilkers are 50:50 sharemilkers.
Data for the New Zealand Dairy Statistics is sourced from the LIC National Database, dairy companies, Animal Evaluation database, Animal Health Board Annual Report, Quotable Value New Zealand Rural; Property Sales Statistics and Statistics New Zealand.
