DOMINION'S LIVE STOCK

Shannon News, 27 July 1928, Page 2

DOMINION'S LIVE STOCK

INCREASE OF DAIRY COWS.

RECORD FOR NORTH ISLAND: PORK INDUSTRY'S EXPANSION

Following the recent announcement of the interim return of sheep, showing the record total of 27,001,236, provision-, al returns have now been issued oi; other live stock, enumerated at January 31. . The outstanding facts are an; increase of 8900 dairy cows in' the Dominion, the increa.se of over ,19,000 in the North Island niore than compensating for the contraction in the South Island; a further reduction-in the number of other cattle and in horses; and; a continuation of the rapid expansion Lit the number of pigs. The record number of dairy cows was 1,323,432 in 1925. Next year there was a heavy fall to 1,303j856, and last year a further decline, though by only 631. Tho provisional retwn for 1928 shows a total of 1,312,126, an increase of 8900 in the year. The reduction in dairy herds has, however, been, wholly in the South Island, for even in 1925-26, the North, Island census showed a difference of only seven fewer. With that insignicarit exception, tho number of dairy, cows in the North Island has rapidly; increased. It exceeded one million: for the lirst time in i 924, and then constituted 76.55 per cent of the total number in the Dominion. In four years there has been an increase of 51,095, so that in 1928 the North Island had 1,055,886, or 80.47 per cent, of the country's dairy cows. The increase in the last year alone has been 19,121. In the same period of four years the number of dairy cattle in the South Island has declined from 307,797, ta 256,240, a shrinkage of 51,557.

The total number of cattle was at the' record figure.of 3,563,497 in 1924, since when there has, been an annual decline -Excluding dairy cws there were 2,250,909 cattle in 1924; the interim return for 1928 shows 1,890,598, a reduction of 360,311. Pigs numbered 567,874, ah increase of 47,731 for the year, and easily the record number. In 1916 when the annual enumeration was commenced, tnere' were 297,501; by 1923 there had been an increase of 167,000 to 40,889. In five years there has been' a further increase of 103,000. •

A further decline in the number of horses is shown, the total being 299,122, as against 303,713 in 1927. The maximum number ever recorded was 404,248, in 1911; since then there has been a gradual contraction, until the total is now below 300,0.00 for the first time since 1905.