Over the past 10 years alone, sheep numbers in NZ have fallen by 6.5 million or 20 per cent. There are now five sheep per person and a total of 26 million sheep – a drop from the 1982 historic high of 22 per person and a total of 72 million sheep. Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay president Jim Galloway agreed the region would continue to see sheep numbers decline in times of drought. Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay president Jim Galloway said the region would continue to see sheep numbers drop in times of drought. Lamb prices in Hawke's Bay sat around $90 per head in May last year, compared to about $120 per head this year.

Source: New Zealand Herald May 14, 2021 18:00 UTC