Kōrero: Meat and wool

This graph shows the changing markets for New Zealand sheep meat exports in the 40 years after 1964. In that year New Zealand had a secure market in the United Kingdom for frozen lamb. The entry of the UK into the EEC in 1973 limited that market, and New Zealand exporters were forced to seek new markets. By 1984 the percentage of sheep meat sold to the UK had dropped dramatically – over half went to the Middle East, with Iran the largest single destination. Twenty years later the percentage of sheep meat going to the UK had hardly changed, but sales had increased to other European countries, especially Germany, France and Belgium – as well as to North America.