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Story: Goats and goat farming

Farmed goat populations

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Farmed goat populations

Farmed goat numbers have varied considerably. From about 50,000 in 1979, the population soared to about 1.3 million in 1987. Since then it has declined steadily, to about 150,000 in 2001. Numbers in 1996, 1999 and 2001 are estimates only.

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Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand

Source: New Zealand official yearbook, 1979–2005

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How to cite this page

Allan Gillingham, Goats and goat farming – Farming goats for weed control and milk, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/graph/16589/farmed-goat-populations (accessed 3 June 2026).

Story by Allan Gillingham, published 1 March 2009.