6% Increase In Lambs Forecast

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31001, 5 March 1966, Page 14

6% Increase In Lambs Forecast

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, March 4.

The Agriculture Department estimates there will be an increase in New Zealand’s lamb population of 2.1 million or 6 per cent more than 1964, for the 1965-66 season.

In its latest estimate, the department says there were 37.2 million breeding ewes compared with 35.7 million in 1964, and the estimated lambing percentage was 101.1 compared with 99.3 in 1964. In the North Island the number of breeding ewes was almost 20 million, an increase of 5.4 per cent over the 18.9 million in 1964. The lambing percentage rose from 94.4 to 94.5 and the number of lambs from 17.9 million to 18.8 million, or 5.5 per cent. In the South Island the number of breeding ewes increased from 16.8 million to

17.2 million, or 2.6 per cent. | which was less than half the. increase recorded in thei North Island. However, the lambing percentage rose from 194.9 to 108.9 and the number of lambs estimated from 17.6 million to 18.7 million, a gain of 6.6 per cent. More than half the increase in lamb numbers would therefore come from the South Island. While most of the areas in the North Island show lambing percentages of less than 100, most of the South Island (except Marlborough, Nelson, and Westland) shows more than 100 per cent. Particu- | larly good figures were rei corded in Southland.