Sheep Stampede Through Te Kūiti
Te Kūiti has unveiled its primary thoroughfare to host a flock of hundreds of sheep racing through, as part of its yearly Great New Zealand Muster celebration.
The event featured musicians, art and craft booths, various foods, and activities for kids, alongside the key attraction—a herd of four-legged festival attendees dashing past throngs of enthusiastic spectators.
The event returned last year After being away due to health and safety issues being resolved, a Liquorland outlet experienced an unexpected ‘ram raid’ when a flock of rogue sheep stormed into the store and took considerable effort to be herded out, asStuffreported back in 2024.
Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson, who joined the tour as he was driven through the mustering route, stated that this event serves as a tribute to sheep, farmers, and their significant contributions to both local New Zealand communities and our nation’s economy.
We're witnessing a shift towards natural fibers; this trend is showing solid progress as the price of strong wool has been climbing consistently over the past eighteen months, currently resting at approximately $4 per kilogram (clean). This figure marks an eight-year peak.
The latest benchmark we've reached is that wool prices now suffice for covering shearing expenses, an issue we’ve strived intensively to address. However, we understand that significant work remains ahead. My confidence has never been higher that we will improve the outlook for wool.
The event coincides with The New Zealand Shearing Championships, taking place in Te Kūiti as well. This championship commenced on Thursday and will conclude with award presentations on Saturday evening.
NZ Shearing Champions commence in Te Kuiti (5 min 50 sec)
Doug Laing from Shearing SportsNZ, who organized the event, mentioned to diwida that they've observed an exceptionally high number of newcomers entering shearing contests this year, particularly among young females.
Patterson mentioned that wool exports amounted to $549 million for the economy in the year ending June 30, 2024, which marks a rise from $513 million in the previous year.
"The backbone of New Zealand's economy has historically been New Zealand wool, and I am still enthusiastic about the future of this industry as we explore new high-value opportunities," he stated.
