BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- New Zealanders who for decades have endured jokes about being outnumbered 20-to-1 by sheep have a new farm animal majority to worry about: cows.
A record 5.8 million dairy cattle were counted in the year ended June 2009, Statistics New Zealand said Tuesday -- well more than one animal for each of the country's 4.3 million citizens.
In contrast, sheep numbers declined to some 32 million in 2009, less than half the peak of 70 million reported in 1982. In 2009, New Zealand had fewer than eight sheep per person.
Statistics New Zealand said the cow numbers last year were 4 percent higher than in 2008 and up 76 percent from 3.3 million in 1989.
The dairy herd's expansion was due to the conversion of sheep and other farms to the more lucrative dairy industry and to the growth in the number of milking cows in existing herds.
(Agencies)
