SHEEP FLOCKS

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 62, 15 March 1933, Page 10

SHEEP FLOCKS

DOMINION FIGURES

DECREASE IN TOTAL

PEICE OF WOOL

A decrease both in the number of sheep-owners and the number of sheep in the Dominion is shown in the annual sheep returns for the year ended April 30 last, presented to Parliament last session. This follows on the decrease registered the previous year, and further illustrates the tendancy for sheep-farmers to kill off their flocks for realisation as mutton when the price of wool is lott. If the fluctuation in price is temporary there may be little change in the number of sheep, but the following figures showing' the number of sheep in the Dominion in each year since 1914 and the total price realised for the reported wool clip illustrates the tendency for farmers to make up the drop in wool prices by the sale of mutton:— No. of sheep. £ 1014 24,708,763 9,318,114 1015 24,901,421 10,387,875 IMG 24,755,150 12.356 074 1017 25,270,356 12,175,366 101S 26,538,302 7,527 "'66 1919 25,828,554 10,559,537 1020 23,010,970 11,863,827 1»21 23,285,031 5,221479 1922 22,222,250 11,882,463 102* 23,081,430 10,004,658 1024 23,775,776 15,267,544 1023 24,547,053 17,730,736 102fi ~ 24,904,903 11,830 190 1027 25.649,016 12,961,744 1028 27,133,810 16,679 008 JO2O 29,051,382 15,350,206 !030 30,841,287 7,644,362 1031 29,702,516 •6,195 1"7 1032 28,691,788 »5,552;585 "Those two totals are for silently different periods, but make no material difference. DECREASE IN OWNERS. On April 30, 1932, there were 30,449 sheepowhers in New Zealand, as against 30,789 at the same date in 1931, a decrease of 340. A decrease was shown in each of the five sheep districts, the detailed figures being as follows:— , ~ 1031 1932 Auckland 5473 540s Porerty Bay-Hawke's Bay 3860 3778 Marlboroiißh-Xelson-'Westland "".'. 2561 2542 Canterbury-Kaikoura 6178 6134 O'aeo 7460 7413 |Totals, Dominion : 30,789 30,449 , The number of sheep in each district was as follows:— , , ' 1031 1932 Auckland 3,311,406' 2,092,354 Porerty Bay-Hawke's Bay 6,424,856 6 2SO 928 Wellington-West Coast .. 6,150,614 5,673,705 Marlborough-Xelson-West--,-.la"a •:•, 1,496,027 1,448,903 Canterbury-Kaikoura .. 5,707,731.5 638 714 O'ago __ 6,700,982 6,657,184 20,792,516 28,691,788 The return shows that there were' 24 owners with flocks of 20,001 sheep or over. Pour of these -belonged to the Poverty Bay District, one to Hawke's Bay, two to the Eongitikei, one to Featherston, five to Marlborough, 10 to Canterbury or Kaikoura, and six to Otago. There were 143 owners with between 10,001 and 20,000 sheep; 141 with between 7501 and 10,000; 442 with between 5001 and 7500; 1669 with between 2501 and 5000; 5837 with between 1001 and 2500; 6652 with between 501 and 1000; 6937 with between-201 and 500; and 8324 with between one and 200. THE EWE FLOCK. Although there has been a fall of over 2,000,000 in the size of the New Zealand flock, the number of breeding ewes up to April 30 last has been fairly well maintained, although the drop is the first recorded since 1920. The figures since 1914 are as follows:— W. ■• .' 12,020,176 «1« ::::■::::::::::::::::::::••• "li*1?^ ]l)l '•"•••■ ls^eiueo J"i° 13,022,034 ]■!}■> 12,341,900 \H 0. : 11,569,675 ]°'\ 12,147,788 J",:,: ■• 12,496,054 ;■''■] 13.063,003 ijMJ 13,076,094 1W lil.ilj.iii '■-- 13,943,252 }-ho •• '• 14,831,730 ]«£ •• 15,534,051 ■}„" •'■ 10,608,155 JXJ? > ■ 17,564,175 ":i 17,608,729 iJli- ••, • 17,063,060 In view of the fact that there was an excellent lambing season this year and that a quota has been placed on the exportation of mutton, it is not likely that there will be any phenomenal decrease in the New Zealand flock for the year ended April 30 next.