New figures show the national sheep flock has increased for first time in five years.
After shrinking by nearly 20% over four years, the number bounced back slightly last year, according to agricultural production statistics for 2009-10 issued by Statistics New Zealand.
There was an increase of about 180,000, or 0.5%.
The total national flock at 30 June, 2010 was 32.6 million.
The statistics also show small increases in cattle herds, with the total number of dairy cows increasing by 50,000, or about 1%.
However, there was a pause in the South Island's rapid dairy expansion. The South Island dairy herd was the same as in 2009, the first year in a decade it did not grow.
But the number of beef cattle fell by 4% because of drought and competition from dairy.
Wheat production had a good year, rising by 10% or more than 40,000 tonnes. But other grain production slumped: barley volumes fell by more than a third and maize grain by more than 20% last year.
