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Pastoral farming is the predominant industry in the Catlins with most of the population either engaged in farming or in related service industries. Grass and clover are ‘what we do best’ with our fertile soils and reliable rainfall. Of the total area of land in the Catlins area about half, ~28000 hectares, is in (more or less protected) native bush, part of which provides a natural boundary between the farming areas of the North and South Catlins. There is also a substantial amount of planted production forest. The
rolling fertile farm land in the South Catlins is ideally suited to sheep
and beef farming which is the predominant land use with a few dairying and
deer-farming operations. The average farm size is approximately 280-300
hectares with each farm running about 2,500 to 3,000 sheep. The main
income from sheep farms is from the export of lambs (about two thirds)
with the rest coming from wool and adult sheep sales. |
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Dairying has come back into favour, although, where there were once at least eight small cheese factories in the area, there is now one giant co-operative milk processing factory at Edendale, and another at Stirling, across the Clutha River. An average dairy farm milks an impressive 450 cows. There
is a good deal of grazing (ie feeding for a weekly rental) of dairy
animals, especially the young heifers, also cows during their winter break
from milking. Beef breeding cows have dropped in number but a lot of
farmers buy in and grow out young beef animals for export. |
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Most
of the lambs from the Catlins area are processed at the large co-operative
meat processing plants located at Invercargill and Balclutha. There are
also smaller plants at Gore, Mataura, Morton Mains and Awarua These
lambs are sold when they are between 3 and 7 months of age and the
majority are exported as chilled (not frozen) cuts, processed ready for
the supermarket shelves of every continent. |
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Farms in the North Catlins on average are larger in size and the topography is steeper. This region is renowned for production of good quality beef calves. Overall however, sheep farming is still the predominant land use in the North Catlins too. Both areas receive a reliable rainfall between 1000 and 1500 mm per year with a temperate climate. Snow falls 3 or 4 times a year in the South Catlins but is usually thawed by the same evening. In the North Catlins the falls can be heavy especially on the higher ground further from the coast, and can last longer than a week. Stock are grazed outside all year and winter crops (swedes and choumoellier) are grown to supplement the grass rotation in the winter. Surplus grass in the summer is made into hay, balage and silage also for winter supplementation. These areas produce good quality lambs and wool with average lambing percentage around 130% – 140% with some farms achieving over 150%. There is accommodation in both areas where visitors can stay on a farm and experience the lifestyle, and usually a spare pair of gumboots at the back door. . |
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© 2005, Catlins Promotions Association |
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