THE WORLD’S WOOL

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20260, 31 July 1937, Page 27 (Supplement)

THE WORLD’S WOOL

INTERESTING STATISTICS. The National Association of Wool Manufacturers in the United States of America, in the current issue of their annual bulletin, publishes a tabulated estimate of the number of sheep in the world and of the world’s wool production, made up from the latest statistics available. A carefully detailed tabulation of the latest figrures has also been made available by the Statistical Bureau of the United States Department of Agriculture. These estimates are reproduced below with such additions as are possible. In each case the year is griven for the figrures quoted, which, in some cases, are commercial estimates, and in others official returns. For the main wool-producing countries the figures are authentic and as up-to-date as possible, but in other cases it is rarely possible to obl»in official figures, either estimates or census returns for every year, and 'because of this fact any estimate of the sheep totals can only be taken as an approximate figure. Similar difficulties apply to estimates of wool production in many countries. It will be understood therefore that the figures are estimates based upon the best available information for the nearest approximate date and are not necessarily returns made to an official agency. In some countries the stock census is only taken at long intervals and facilities for the collection of exact data are in many cases unavailable. Following are the figures given:—

Pounds Sheep of Wool. North America _ 61,654 466,600,000 South America _ 96,474 643,600,000 Europe 178,996 674,800,000 Asia _ _ 104.346 294,800,000 Africa _ _ _ 86,718 830.200,000 Australia _ — 111,700 926,900,000 New Zealand _ _ 30.039 251,100.000 Estimated world total 669,827 3,478,000,000