NZ milking cow numbers drop as fewer cows produce more milk

NZ milking cow numbers drop as fewer cows produce more milk
Tina Morrison
By Tina Morrison Nov. 27 (BusinessDesk) - New Zealand milking cow numbers have dropped to the lowest level in four years, although the average cow is producing more milk than ever before. The number of milking cows fell 2.7 percent to 4.86 million in the 2016/17 season, the second consecutive annual decline and marking the lowest level since the 2012/13 season, according to the latest New Zealand Dairy Statistics 2016/17 report produced by DairyNZ, the industry body which collects data from farmers, and Livestock Improvement Corp, the dai...