LAMBING ESTIMATES FOR 1949

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 80, Issue 1, 16 January 1950, Page 28

LAMBING ESTIMATES FOR 1949

Dominion Percentage Highest on Record

By the Livestock Division.

THE estimated lambing percentage of the Dominion for the 1949 season of 96.48 is the highest on record. This is an appreciable increase 0f'3.37 per cent, on the previous highest figure of 93.11 per cent., which was recorded for 1947. The percentage last year was 92.72. New records also are established for both the North Island and the South Island. The North Island percentage has risen from 89.43 in 1948 to 94.55 in 1949, an increase of 5.12. The previous best percentage was 92.56 in 1945 which has been exceeded by 1.99 per cent. The South Island figure for 1949 of 98.93 per cent, is 2 per cent, higher than the previous best, 96.93 in 1948.

New Zealand Young Farmers to Compete in Australian Radio Contest

YOUNG farmers’ clubs are now choosing members for the district elimination contests to be held early in February for the selection of competitors for the four council finals and New Zealand final of a Y.F.C. leadership contest to be broadcast from national stations of the New Zealand Broadcasting Service. The winner will represent the New Zealand Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs in the final of the Australian Junior Farmer Leadership Contest to be broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Commission at the Sydney Easter Show. In the contest, which is sponsored by the . Australian Broadcasting Commission, competitors are required to discuss before the microphone and without script the work in their districts and clubs. They must answer questions to test their knowledge of the work on the home farm, and give briefly ideas on how they or their clubs could contribute or have contributed to a better community life. Competitors must be between 16 and 21 years of age on April 1, 1950. The four council finals, which will be broadcast from the respective national stations, will be held before March 10, and the Dominion final, over a national link, in the following week.

DISTRICT ESTIMATES

Dominion Totals

County Breeding ewes (as at 1949) Estimated percentage of lambs Estimated number of lambs Mangonui .. '.. . 30,626 89.23 27,328 Whangaroa .. 13,724 84.70 11,624 Bay of Islands 62,487 92.60 57,863 Hokianga .. 44,490 82.07 36,513 Whangarei . . 88,149 90.08 79,405 Otamatea 79,509 90.62 72.051 Hobson 78,516 89.41 70,201 Rodney 96,600 82.76 79,946 Great Barrier 6,224 67.20 4,183 Waitemata 75,295 96.96 73,006 Eden 4,231 85.27 3,608 Manukau .; . 67,486 . 92.38 62.344 Franklin 134,872 97.74 131,824 Coromandel .. ■31,533 80.30 25,321 Thames .. .. 9,821 90.20 8,859 Hauraki Plains 17,960 91.35 16,406 Ohinemuri .. 19,336 96.82 18,721 Waikato .. .. ~ 165,391 98.59 163,059 Raglan 435,414 94.30 410,595 Waipa 181,038 101.19 183,192 Piako 134,534 97.97 131,803 Matamata .. .. 283,278 97.96 277,499 Rotorua .102,714 100.03 102,745 Taupo 27,664 91.06 25,191 Taumarunui 107,605 93.00 100,073 Kawhia .. , .. 69,990 90.93 63,642 Otorohanga 146,766 140.00 205,472 Waitomo 360,934 93.55 337,654 Ohura 118,719 93.50 111,002 Kaitieke .. .. 65,766 94.00 61,820 Tauranga 148,366 99.28 147,298 Whakatane ■ 55,177 96.80 53,411 Opotiki 47,131 80.00 37,705 Totals .. 3,311,346 96.38 3,191,364

AUCKLAND DISTRICT

County Breeding ewes (as at 1949) Estimated percentage • of lambs Estimated number of lambs Matakaoa' .. 62,617 84.00 • 52,598 Waiapu 238,834 82.30 196,560 Uawa . . « .. 119,304 81.20 96,875 Cook .. 413,148 ’ 89.20 368,528 Waikohu 359,940 90.40 325,386 Wairoa 400,438, 86.62 346,859 Hawkes Bay 940,206 91.45 859,818 Waipawa 438,345 98.54 431,945 Waipukurau 137,726 97.13 133,773 Patangata 502,181 92.00 462,007 Weber' 52,892 95.04 50,269 Dannevirke 289,197 97.31 281,418 Woodville .. 84,062 103.57 87,063 Pahiatua 162,523 95.66 155,470 Akitio 160,747 89.24 143,451 Totals .. 4,362,160 91.51 3,992,020

EAST COAST-HAWKES BAY DISTRICT

Clifton 87,215 93.62 81,651 Taranaki 27,170 100.18 27,219 Inglewood . . ' 51,130 94.85 48,497 Egmont 20,361 99.80 20,320 Stratford 107,842 93.07 100,369 Whangamomona .. 56,567 91.66 51,849 Eltham. 52,776 ' 98.46 51,963 Hawera 78,491 99.92 78,428 Waimate West 5,787 98.80 5,718 Patea 206,751 102.58 212,085 Waitotara 135,887 98.99 134,515 Waimarino . . 166,714 92.00 153,377 Wanganui 276,790 85.10 235,548 Rangitikei .. 966,066 100.00 966,066 Oroua 213,019 99.55 212,060 Kairanga 111,451 02.60 114,349 Kiwitea 245,167 100.05 245,290 Pohangina .. 130,446 . 96.00 125,228 Manawatu . . .. 143,493 101.60 145,789 Horowhenua 118,159 100.98 119,317 Hutt . . 63,859 79.92 51,036 Makara .. 46,705 89.04 41,586 Featherston 316,672 91.40 289,438 Wairarapa South .. 171,822 97.39 167,337 Masterton 288,513 91.10 262,835 Castlepoint 94,343 92.90 87,645 Eketahuna . . 129,797 92.00 119,413 Mauriceville 46,581 96.10 44,764 Totals .. 4,359,574 96.19 4,193,692

WEST COAST-WELLINGTON DISTRICT

County Breeding ewes (as at 1949). Estimated percentage of lambs Estimated number of lambs Waimea 163,408 83.0 135,629 Takaka 27,793 84.0 23,346 Collingwood 13,651 81.0 11,057 Buller .... 1,662 92.8 1,542 Inangahua .. .. 13,814 95.5 13,192 Murchison .. .. 27,567 87.0 23,983 Grey 24,140 113.2 27,326 Westland 33,250 118.7 39,468 Sounds 96,687 77.9 75,319 Marlborough 207.909 81.3 169,030 Awatere 170,810 90.2 154,071 Totals . . .. 780,691 86.33 673,963

MARLBOROUGH-NELSON-WESTLAND DISTRICT

Kaikoura 129,275 87.5 113,116 Amuri 218,408 98.3 214,695 Cheviot 146,995 98.3 144,496 Waipara 286,344 100.3 , 287,203 Ashley 60,550 92.0 55,706 Kowai 74,390 101.0 75,134 Oxford 65,822 92.7 61,017 Rangiora 40,891 106.8 43,672 Eyre 51,441 113.3 58,283 Tawera 50,303 85.1 42,808 Malvern 132,230 102.3 135,271 Paparua 35,863 130.9 46,945 Waimairi 4,015 100.0 4,015 Heathcote 6,977 91.4 6,377 Akaroa 85,970 110.0 94,567 Mount Herbert 38.865 102.0 39,642 Wairewa ' 70,170 105.0 73,679 Halswell 14,945 106.0 15,842 Springs 30,948 107.0 33,114 Ellesmere 74,544 113.0 84,235 Selwyn 134,610 85.7 115,361 Ashburton . . 758,264 108.3 821,200 Geraldine 253,469 98.0 248,400 Levels 179,085 114.6 205,231 Mackenzie . . 293,311 89.2 261,633 Waimate 472,302 89.9 424,599 Chatham Islands 44,205 73.0 32,270 Totals 3,754,192 99.58 3,738,511

CANTERBURY-KAIKOURA DISTRICT

District Breeding ewes (as at 1949) Estimated percentage of lambs, Estimated number of lambs Waitaki .. 440,778 94.0 . 414,331 Maniototo 235,232 90.5 212,885 Vincent 235,232 91.0 214,061 Waihemo 98,903 94.0 92,969 Waikouaiti 71,082 92.0 65,395 Taieri 166,984 87.0 145,276 Peninsula .. ' 17.143 103.0 17,657 Clutha 455,599 101.0 460,155 Tuapeka 345,445 95.0 328,173 Bruce .. 232,981 98.0 228,321 Lake . .. 121,630 86.0 104,602 Southland .. 1,897,408 109.0 2,068,175 Wallace 616,662 98.0 604,329 Stewart Island 2,327 80.0 1,862 Totals 1.937,406 100.42 4,958.191

OTAGO-SOUTHLAND DISTRICT

Auckland 3,311,346 96.38 3.191,364 East Coast-Hawkes - Bay 4,362,160 91.51 3,992,020 West Coast-Welling-ton 4,359,574 96.19 4,193,692 Marlborough-Nelson-Westland 780,691 86.33 673,963 Canterbury-Kaikoura 3,754,192 99.58 3,738,511 Otago-Southland . . 4,937,406 100.42 4,958,191 Dominion 21,505,369 96.48 20,747,741

The following table gives the estimates of the current (1949) season’s lambing for each sheep district: —

Year Number of breeding ewes (*as at 1945) Estimated percentage of lambs Estimated number of lambs Actual No. of lambs - tailed NORTH ISLAND 1949 .. 12.033,080 94.55 11,377,076 — 1948 .. 11,821,596 89.43 10,572,444 10,830,868 1947 .. 11,696,313 92.47 10,814,554 11.250,554 1946 .. *11,890,011 87.92 10,453,719 10,447,857 1945 .. 11,890,011 92.56 11,004,903 , 11,252,679 1944 .. 11,740,920 90.08 . 10,576,495 11,054,223 SOUTH ISLAND >OUTH ISLAND 1949 .. 9,472,289 98.93 9,370,665 — 1948 .. 9,233,886 96.93 8,950,202 8,975,017 1947 .. 9,047,469 93.94 8,498,971 8,584,492 1946 .. *8,975,847 91.69 8,229,713 8,194,441 1945 .. 8,975,847 92.75 8,324.990 8,308,779 1944 .. 8,808,796 94.07 8,286,568 8,399,083 DOMINION 1949 .. 21,505,369 96.48 20,747,741 — 1948 .. 21,055,482 92.72 19,522,646 19,805,885 1947 .. 20,743,782 93.11 19,313,525 19,835,046 1946 ... *20,865,858 89.54. 18,683,432 18,642,298 1945 .. 20,865,858 92.64 19,329,893 19,561,458 1944 .. 20,549,716 91.79 18,863,063 19,453,306.

The following table shows the estimated lambing for the North and South Islands for the previous 5 years together with the actual number of lambs tailed: —