The facts
- The agricultural industry employs an estimated 11.4% of the New Zealand workforce. This includes around
66,000 people employed on sheep, beef and dairy farms. - Over the past 15 years growth has been significant in the dairy sector, which is considered to be more profitable than other land-use options.
- There are about 17,000 dairy farmers, including farm owners and sharemilkers.
- There is over 11,800 dairy herds, totalling nearly four million cows.
- Since the year 2000, the amount of land used for dairy farming has increased from 1,330,000 ha to 1,410,000 ha.
- In 1990 the average herd size was 160 cows, today it is 322 cows.
- The vast majority of herds are in the North Island (81.0%), with an average North Island herd size of 280 cows.
- Generally the largest farms and herds are in the South Island, where there has been most growth in dairy farming in the past 10 years. Canterbury has the largest average herd size of 648 cows.
- Total milk production has increased from nearly 13 billion litres in 2000 to over 14.7 billion litres in 2006.
- 95% of all milk produced is processed for export.
- New Zealand's largest dairy company, Fonterra, earns about 20% of the country's total export income.
- Our dairy season runs from 1 June to 31 May.
