Just eight sheep for every Kiwi

Counting sheep is getting easier - there are now just eight for every New Zealander as flocks continue to dwindle.

In 1982 the ratio was nearly 22 for every person.

Yesterday Meat and Wool NZ issued the latest count of 34.2 million - compared with New Zealand's population of 4,270,870.

Economic Service executive director Rob Davison says the latest sharp drop - 4.3 million, or 11 per cent, in the past year - was caused 60 per cent by drought and 40 per cent by conversion of farms to dairying.

He does not expect a full recovery soon because sheepfarmers are struggling with drought effects on top of low prices for wool and lamb.

And chops will be harder to find because, in the coming season, the kill will be down six million to 20.3 million lambs.

- © Fairfax NZ News