New Zealand now has more than six million dairy cattle, an increase partly driven by higher milk payouts, Statistics New Zealand said today. The number of sheep continues to fall. Dairy cattle increased by 259,000 in the year ended 30 June 2011, according to the annual agriculture production survey, with most of the increase in the South Island. Agricultural statistics manager Hamish Hill said the North Island land capable of dairying was mostly taken up and so had small annual increases. In the South Island the biggest increase was in Canterbury. Sheep numbers fell from 32.6 million in 2010 to 31.1m in 2011. ... (full story)