New Zealand slaughtered 22.2 million head of sheep and lamb in the financial year that ran from April 2023 to March 2024, an increase of 6% year on year.

However, analysts expect the slaughter figures to decline in the course of the current financial year. Figures for the month of June 2024 show slaughter levels of 1.1 million head, down by 16% year on year.

The country’s sheep flock had 24.4 million head at the end of 2023, a record low. This represents a decline of more than 35% compared to 2003.

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