New Zealand: Livestock and Products Annual

New Zealand is expected to have already reached “peak” cattle numbers, and FAS/Wellington anticipates a very gradual decline in both dairy and beef cow numbers in the near future. One of the major influences on this is New Zealand governmental policy, and in particular regulations regarding livestock exclusion around certain water sources, as well as proposed pricing of agricultural emissions. In 2023, FAS/Wellington is forecasting a less than 1 percent decrease to the national slaughter numbers, and beef production is forecast to ease a similar amount. In 2022, slaughter pace has been slowed by Covid-19 outbreaks, but processing companies are running their plants for longer into the winter to clear the backlog.