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Kōrero: Economic history

Wool, meat and butter exports, 1853–2000

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Wool, meat and butter exports, 1853–2000

This graph shows the economic significance to New Zealand of the products derived from grass via sheep and cows – wool, meat and butter. Until the 1890s wool was at times more than half the value of New Zealand’s exports. Then refrigerated shipping made possible first the export of meat, which remained 20–30% of export value until the mid-1980s, and then butter, which was normally over 20% of export value from the early 1920s until 1960. The pastoral sector also exported other products such as skins, cheese and casein, which added to the dominance of the sector.

Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi

Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: Statistics New Zealand

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Ngā whakaahua me ngā rauemi katoa o tēnei kōrero

Me pēnei te tohu i te whārang

Brian Easton, Economic history – Early pastoral economy, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/mi/graph/24323/wool-meat-and-butter-exports-1853-2000 (accessed 4 June 2026).

He kōrero nā Brian Easton, i tāngia i te 12 April 2010.