New Zealand is an island nation located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

The country has a well-developed livestock industry and is one of the world's largest exporters of lamb and coarse wool, producing beef and lamb, as well as a number of high-grade fabrics and raw materials.

What are the advantages of New Zealand and why is the livestock industry so developed?

1.Geographical overview of New Zealand

New Zealand is an island nation located in the southwestern part of the Greater Flat Ocean. On the map, its shape is also somewhat similar to that of the island nation of Japan, with both being relatively long and narrow geographical features. The country is located on the southeast side of Australia, and although it looks closer on the map, the distance between the two countries is actually nearly 1,700 kilometers.

More than 75% of the country's terrain is hilly and mountainous. The vegetation is indeed lush, but the soil is not fertile, so the pastures are abundant but not suitable for cultivation.

The junction of the Pacific plate and the Australian plate exactly divides New Zealand into two parts, and the movement and collision of these two large plates make New Zealand have very frequent geological activities. As a result, the geological landscape of New Zealand has many highlands and hills.

Large and small ranches exist, both on top of gentle hills, between hills and mountains, and between hills and hills.

2.Climate of New Zealand

New Zealand's climate is ideal for grazing and animal growth. Located between 34 and 47 degrees south latitude and 166 and 178 degrees east longitude, New Zealand has a temperate maritime climate with seasons that are opposite to those of the northern hemisphere.

The country does not have distinct seasons, which means that temperature differences are not significant throughout the year, generally not exceeding 15 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, New Zealand has abundant rainfall, with an average annual rainfall of 600 to 1500 mm throughout the country, and high air humidity. Such abundant rainfall and small temperature difference are very suitable for the growth of pasture and breeding of animals.

3.Rational management of livestock resources

New Zealand has also experienced the problem of grass degradation and soil erosion caused by overgrazing. After a period of treatment, it returned to normal.

Since then, New Zealanders gradually realized that the development of any industry should not be at the cost of ecological damage, and strictly follow the principle of ecological development, which mean how much pasture to feed how many livestock, and try to balance the pasture capacity with the amount of pasture required by livestock.

4.Good Forage

New Zealand pay more attention to the selection and breeding of forage varieties, they select the best forage varieties according to the local soil conditions and climate conditions. In addition, New Zealand farmers and ranchers attach great importance to the management of artificial pastures.

In order to prevent pasture degradation, artificial pastures are fertilized by airplane 1-2 times a year, and in areas lacking in trace elements, fertilizers with boron, sulfur, copper, zinc and other trace element fertilizers are added to ensure the nutritional needs of livestock.

These four reasons can explain why New Zealand's livestock industry is so developed.