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SI Dairying
Development Centre
Gate 2,
Cnr Ellesmere Junction Road
and Calder Drive
P O Box 160
Lincoln University
Canterbury
New Zealand
Tel:0064 3 325 3629
Fax: 0064 3 325 3695
Email:office@siddc.org.nz |
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South Island dairying within the NZ dairying industry
- Dairy farming - NZ’s largest single industry.
- 96% of New Zealand’s milk production is exported.
- New Zealand’s 11,400 dairy farmers work with or employ another 30,000 people on farm.
- Thousands more are employed in associated businesses and in dairy factories.
- Production – Over 1.27 billion kilograms of milk solids processed from 14.7 billion litres milk.
- Population – NZ Average herd size 351; 11,436 herds; 4m cows (2007/08 season)
- SI average herd size 526 cows; 2386 herds; 1,255,562 cows.
- South Island dairy production – fastest growing, now represents over 35% of total NZ milk solids production, from 21% of NZ’s farms and 31% of NZ’s cows.
- Overall the South Island has larger farms, larger herds, higher production per cow and per hectare.
| Region |
Herds |
Cows |
Total effective ha |
Average herd
size |
Average effective ha |
Average cows
ha |
| Nelson/Marlborough |
248 |
81,087 |
29,930 |
327 |
121 |
2.78 |
| West Coast |
368 |
132,598 |
59,573 |
360 |
162 |
2.31 |
| North Canterbury |
545 |
387,152 |
116,082 |
710 |
215 |
3.28 |
| South Canterbury |
184 |
130,773 |
41,190 |
711 |
224 |
3.23 |
| Otago |
331 |
170,629 |
59,165 |
515 |
179 |
2.92 |
| Westland |
710 |
353,323 |
130,073 |
498 |
183 |
2.72 |
| Total or averages |
11,436 |
4,012,867 |
1,436,549 |
351 |
126 |
2.83 |
| Change from previous season |
4.33% |
8.68% |
6.48% |
4.12% |
1.97% |
1.60% |
| South Island % of NZ totals |
20.9% |
31.3% |
30.4% |
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| Total New Zealand |
11,436 |
4,012,867 |
1,436,549 |
351 |
126 |
2.83 |
| Region |
Total MS
production ['000] |
MS per herd |
MS / cow |
MS / ha |
| Nelson/Marlborough |
25,944 |
104,612 |
324 |
905 |
| West Coast |
41,884 |
113,815 |
321 |
736 |
| North Canterbury |
145,719 |
267,374 |
384 |
1,259 |
| South Canterbury |
48,565 |
263,939 |
376 |
1,221 |
| Otago |
61,220 |
184,956 |
368 |
1,073 |
| Westland |
128,634 |
181,174 |
371 |
1,004 |
| Total or averages |
451,966 |
189,424 |
361 |
1,037 |
| Change from previous season |
6.99% |
2.55% |
-3.22% |
-0.86% |
| New Zealand |
1,270,000 |
111,033 |
307 |
873 |
(adapted from “Dairy Statistics 2007-08”, LIC)
- Canterbury and Southland have been the areas of largest growth over the last 10 years.
- The traditional dairying areas around the cities/large towns are experiencing land use change, primarily to lifestyle blocks. Many of these farmers are relocating their businesses to growth areas, and increasing the scale of their operation.
- The South Island has a significant number of large corporate farming businesses, farm partnerships with multiple owners, and managed farms.
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