Latest news with #BeefandLambNewZealand
Agriland
3 days ago
- Business
- Agriland
Survey shows New Zealand beef cattle numbers up, sheep down
The total number of sheep in New Zealand dropped by 1% in the past year, while beef cattle numbers rose 4.4%, according to a new survey. Beef and Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) has released its annual stock number survey for the year ending June 30, 2025. B+LNZ noted a continued shift towards more beef cattle within sheep and beef farming systems as farmers respond to more consistently high cattle prices. The survey found that the decline in the total sheep numbers to 23.36 million is modest and in contrast to the sharp falls of recent years. This was attributed to more trading hoggets (8.36 million) being on hand at June 30, owing to the late season. B+LNZ voiced concern over the 1.9% decrease in breeding ewes to 14.28 million, which it said is "the indicator to watch for the direction of production". The spring 2025 lamb crop, estimated at 19.29 million head, is 120,000 lower (-0.6%) than last season. This decrease is on top of a significant, 1.5 million head, fewer lambs born last season. An uptick in farm-gate prices for sheep over recent months was noted in the report. According to B+LNZ, meat processors struggled this year with low lamb supply which is expected to continue into the coming year. The organisation said the drop in breeding ewes in most regions of the country is "largely because of ongoing land-use change and periodic feed shortages". "While prices are high and farmer confidence has recovered, forestry remains a major concern for farmers as it relates to the critical mass of the sector," the report stated. Beef cattle numbers increased to 3.84 million head over the year, driven by strong farm-gate prices. Farmers were also rebuilding herds following drought in the South Island last year and Cyclone Gabrielle in the North Island in 2023. The number of beef calves born in spring is expected to increase 2.8% to an estimated 71,000 head due to more breeding cows and good conception rates. Despite climatic challenges in some regions, the survey found farmer sentiment has improved, buoyed by better farm-gate prices. B+LNZ chair Kate Acland said there are reasons for optimism in the sheep and beef sector given recent strong prices, although significant challenges remain. 'We're seeing rebuilding of stock numbers in several regions after drought and other adverse weather events led to sharper reductions in the last two years. "Farmers are getting much better prices and are feeling more confident about shorter-term prospects," she said. B+LNZ has claimed that 2.6 million stock units have "been lost to afforestation since 2017", adding that "afforestation is responsible for 78% of the total reduction in sheep and beef stock numbers since 2017". 'The government has set a goal of doubling exports by 2034, and sheep and beef farmers will be essential to achieving this goal. Nearly 20% of New Zealand's export earnings, NZ$10.4 billion in 2024, come from the red meat sector. 'But we can't double exports if we've planted our best farmland in pine trees. We're calling on the government to do more to restrict whole-farm sales for entry into the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)," Acland said.
Scoop
23-07-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Dropping Livestock Numbers Dominate Red Meat Sector Event
New Zealand red meat exports earned an extra $1.2 billion this year, due to good livestock pricing and tighter supplies. But the country's $10 billion red meat sector has raised the alarm that it was struggling to get the numbers of livestock through the meat works it needed to feed hungry international consumers. More than 300 red meat producers, processors and marketers gathered in Ōtautahi for the Red Meat Sector Conference on Tuesday. While import tariffs into key market the United States and subdued consumer demand in China were top of the agenda, the surity of livestock supply underpinned the sector's concerns for a resilient future. The latest figures from StatsNZ showed the national sheep flock and deer herd were continuing to decline. Industry group Beef and Lamb New Zealand's chairperson Kate Acland told the event, carbon farming on productive land under the Emissions Trading Scheme was driving the significant reduction in livestock numbers. "New Zealand currently faces over-capacity in the processing industry," she said. "We have more plants and more processing lines than we have livestock to sustain them efficiently and it risks getting worse. "The drop in stock numbers represents a lost opportunity. We owe it to farmers to face this challenge head on." She said greater collaboration among competing companies was a sensible strategic approach. "If we want a future-fit industry, we need to be bold about optimising capacity and about how we collaborate," she said. "The fall in stock numbers is particularly frustrating because at a time when there's strong demand globally and high export prices, our processors have not been able to capitalise on this. "Our exports would have been hundreds of millions higher if the supply had been there." The conference came during a time when the country's only farmer-owned red meat co-operative Alliance Group was preparing a case of private investment for its farmer-shareholders to vote on in the coming months. Alliance announced the decision to shut its historic Smithfield meat plant in Timaru in October, amid dropping livestock numbers, particularly breeding ewes, with 600 people losing their jobs. Farmers were getting record prices for beef, however they were driven in part by good demand amid tighter supplies. Furthermore, New Zealand imported a near-record volume of beef from Australia in June, as processors worked to secure greater volumes to match meat plant capacity. Meanwhile, Todd McClay, Minister for Agriculture and Trade and Investment, said the Government was working to "get Wellington out of farming" to enable primary sector growth, and bring value back to the farmgate. "We want to reduce regulation and cost on farm," he said. "I reckon it's a great time to be a farmer in New Zealand at the moment. "As there are challenges fronting up around the world, geopolitics, tariffs, protectionism, and so on, the world still needs high quality, safe food. "And you don't get higher quality of safer food anywhere in the world with a wonderful carbon footprint story to tell." He said the government invested in the $8 million Taste Pure Natire campaign with industry to strengthen red meat's position in China, to drive better returns for farmers and processors. StatsNZ figures showing sheep numbers dropped three percent in 2024 to 23.6 million sheep, while deer numbers dropped 4 percent between 2023 and 2024 to 709,000. However, the beef boom has kept stock numbers relatively stable rising one percent in the last year to 3.7 million beef cattle.
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Farmers Still Rushing To Convert Land To Forestry
Article – RNZ Whole farm-to-forest conversions continue, according to a new report released by Beef and Lamb New Zealand. Gianina Schwanecke, Producer/Presenter Whole farm-to-forest conversions continue, according to a new report released by Beef and Lamb New Zealand. The research, carried out by Orme and Associates on behalf of Beef and Lamb, found close to 40,000 hectares of sheep and beef farms had been sold for forestry since September last year. The report also confirmed 29,518ha had sold in 2023 and 30,483ha in 2024. It brings the total amount of farm-to-forestry conversions since January 2017 to more than 300,000-ha. Beef and Lamb estimates this has resulted in the loss of more than 2 million stock units since 2017. Chair Kate Acland said the data underpinned longstanding concerns about whole farm-to-forestry conversions. 'The numbers show whole-farm sales for conversion to forestry for carbon credits are continuing at pace,' she said. 'What we're really concerned about is whole farms, really good productive land getting planted into trees.' The research showed Hawke's Bay, Wellington and Wairarapa remained preferred locations, while Southland had also seen a notable increase. There was a significant slowdown in the Gisborne region, likely due to the environmental impacts of adverse weather events such as Cyclone Gabrielle and tightened harvesting conditions being set by regional councils. Acland said they were not against incorporating forestry within farms, adding if most farmers planted 10 percent of their least productive land in trees, they could still maintain production. 'We're very supportive of incorporating trees within farms. and I think there's a real opportunity here for farmers to be part of the solution.' This week the government introduced new legislation to restrict farm-to-forest conversions on Land Use Classification (LUC) 1-6 land. Under the changes, which will retroactively take effect from December last year when the policy was originally announced, up to a quarter of farms can be planted in forestry for the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). There will also be a ban on full farm-to-forest conversions entering the ETS for actively farmed land and an annual cap of 15,000ha for forestry entering the ETS for lower quality farmland. Acland said while the government putting restrictions around whole farm to forest conversions was positive, she wasn't sure it went far enough. 'Anecdotally we're still hearing of a significant number of farms being sold this year, despite the government announcing the limits last year. 'We're concerned that some sales are continuing on the basis of intent to purchase land before the limits were announced. We urgently need the government to tighten the criteria around proof of intent to purchase.' Additionally, she was particularly concerned about class 6 land, which she said was 'some of the most productive sheep and beef breeding country'. Acland said carbon forestry had a comparatively 'short-term return' when compared to sheep and beef. 'I think we need to recognise the importance of the red meat sector for the economy of this country.' Federated Farmers national president Wayne Langford echoed some of these concerns, saying the country was approaching critical mass for sheep production. He said the new forestry conversion rules were moving 'slowly'. 'We're gonna see more processing plants close, we're gonna see a lot more communities close down unless we do something about this issue across the country.' The legislation is now before Parliament and is to come into force October 2025.
Scoop
13-06-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Farmers Still Rushing To Convert Land To Forestry
, Producer/Presenter Whole farm-to-forest conversions continue, according to a new report released by Beef and Lamb New Zealand. The research, carried out by Orme and Associates on behalf of Beef and Lamb, found close to 40,000 hectares of sheep and beef farms had been sold for forestry since September last year. The report also confirmed 29,518ha had sold in 2023 and 30,483ha in 2024. It brings the total amount of farm-to-forestry conversions since January 2017 to more than 300,000-ha. Beef and Lamb estimates this has resulted in the loss of more than 2 million stock units since 2017. Chair Kate Acland said the data underpinned longstanding concerns about whole farm-to-forestry conversions. "The numbers show whole-farm sales for conversion to forestry for carbon credits are continuing at pace," she said. "What we're really concerned about is whole farms, really good productive land getting planted into trees." The research showed Hawke's Bay, Wellington and Wairarapa remained preferred locations, while Southland had also seen a notable increase. There was a significant slowdown in the Gisborne region, likely due to the environmental impacts of adverse weather events such as Cyclone Gabrielle and tightened harvesting conditions being set by regional councils. Acland said they were not against incorporating forestry within farms, adding if most farmers planted 10 percent of their least productive land in trees, they could still maintain production. "We're very supportive of incorporating trees within farms. and I think there's a real opportunity here for farmers to be part of the solution." This week the government introduced new legislation to restrict farm-to-forest conversions on Land Use Classification (LUC) 1-6 land. Under the changes, which will retroactively take effect from December last year when the policy was originally announced, up to a quarter of farms can be planted in forestry for the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). There will also be a ban on full farm-to-forest conversions entering the ETS for actively farmed land and an annual cap of 15,000ha for forestry entering the ETS for lower quality farmland. Acland said while the government putting restrictions around whole farm to forest conversions was positive, she wasn't sure it went far enough. "Anecdotally we're still hearing of a significant number of farms being sold this year, despite the government announcing the limits last year. "We're concerned that some sales are continuing on the basis of intent to purchase land before the limits were announced. We urgently need the government to tighten the criteria around proof of intent to purchase." Additionally, she was particularly concerned about class 6 land, which she said was "some of the most productive sheep and beef breeding country". Acland said carbon forestry had a comparatively "short-term return" when compared to sheep and beef. "I think we need to recognise the importance of the red meat sector for the economy of this country." Federated Farmers national president Wayne Langford echoed some of these concerns, saying the country was approaching critical mass for sheep production. He said the new forestry conversion rules were moving "slowly". "We're gonna see more processing plants close, we're gonna see a lot more communities close down unless we do something about this issue across the country." The legislation is now before Parliament and is to come into force October 2025.
