Goats in Australia

INTEREST in goat meat as a commercial product has escalated, with operators describing the shift as a boost for the industry.

“I would call it a boom,” goat processor and depot operator Rob Newton said. “The old goat is just ploughing along.”

From his base in Bourke, Rob trades in rangeland goats, purchasing them from properties in the region or doing contract mustering and on-selling them through livestock markets. He described how much the business had gone ahead recently.

“On a domestic front, we have gone from 100 goats a week eight years ago to 1,000 to 1,500 selling into the domestic market for processing.”

Rob became involved almost two decades ago, when goats were still relegated to the back blocks of agriculture as a feral animal. It’s only been lately that he’s noticed the industry surging ahead.

“It would be 20 years ago that they started slaughtering goats for profit,” he said. “I started doing it 18 years ago as a sideline.

“For about 18 months to two years, it’s been pretty good. It’s been what could be considered as a boom.”

Prices for the producer were up to $7.50/kg but have dropped since the recent spell of dry weather. ‘It’s now sitting on about $5/kg,” Rob explained.

Rob believes that loosening of restrictions into international markets has largely contributed to demand for goat meat as a product.

“Overseas tariffs have lifted. Countries like Korea and Hispanic communities have more money to spend and can afford it now.

“The demand is there - Korea has doubled.”

With its newfound status as a desirable protein source, Australians have jumped on the goat-eating bandwagon but not as much as our foreign counterparts.

“We are starting to eat a bit in Australia,” Rob said. “The MLA (Meat and Livestock Australia) is pushing it, and it’s got a lot more professional.

“But we export 95 per cent of our goats.

Demand for goat meat has certainly put a spring in the step of many farmers who would have otherwise struggled through hard times brought on by drought and subsequent financial hardship.

“For farmers out here, it has been a saving grace.”

Rob said the new small livestock abattoir being built at Bourke will also be a major boost for the town which will not take trade away from the existing facility at Charleville in Qld.

“It might have an impact on the southern abattoirs though.”

The meat processing plant has a price tag of $60 million and been labelled a ‘game-changer’ for the western NSW town. It is set to open in early 2018 with an operating plan to slaughter 6,000 goats a day.

By comparison, Western Meat Exporters in Charleville slaughter 15,000 animals a week, or 3,000 head a day and has been called the largest goat processing facility in the world, particularly with its exports into Asia.

Rob has faith that the goat industry will continue to be sustainable, as it is being well-supported by producers, suppliers and buyers.

“The goats are gradually climbing, we are getting a better idea of what is out there.

There’s a lot more people going into it, there’s more infrastructure. People are becoming more enterprising, it’s sustainable and the demand is there.”

Craig Stewart and his wife Jo are goat farmers from Collie, NSW and have been growing and selling Boer goats since starting in the industry in 2008.

He said that goat production was a worthwhile addition to his existing farm operations and agreed that the industry had gone ahead in recent years.

“It’s had a downturn recently but has been booming.”

Craig is pleased with the shift towards goat which is a healthy alternative to other meats.

“Goats have always been known as a feral animal with people preferring to eat lamb and beef,” he pointed out. “But the public has become more aware of goat. People are starting to take it seriously and consider it as an entity.

“And it is a viable option – it’s high in iron and low in fat.”

Nutritionally, there is a lot to learn about the benefits of goat meat and how it can be used within the dietary guidelines for a healthier Australia. In that regard, work is being done with the MLA to showcase the goat meat industry.

“They are raising awareness of the industry, building the profile and trying to turn it into a sustainable industry.

“Goats are already starting to become known as a serious industry.”

Craig said there are many residents in Dubbo now enjoying what is both a nutritious and relatively inexpensive meat product.

“There’s a nucleus of Nepalese people in Dubbo that eat goat and there’s a percentage of Indian people too,” he explained.

The new abattoir at Bourke is a sign of faith in the industry, Craig said.

“It will be good for Bourke, good for NSW, they are aiming to get enough to supply the market.

It hasn’t been detrimental by any means, it’s probably helping us because it’s promoting the industry.”

Although they are now widely-recognised for their goats, the Stewarts sometimes can’t believe how far they’ve come.

“We still shake ourselves that it started with a poddy goat,” Craig said.

“It’s something we never dreamt of.”

Of course, there’s been ups and downs along the way with Craig and Jo being the first goat producers in the area.

“It hasn’t all been a bed of roses. It’s good to be a trailblazer but it can be difficult when you’re the only one in the district.” According to the Goat Industry Council of Australia, goat is the most widely consumed meat in the world and Australia is the world’s largest exporter. Goats arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788. Some of the first herd escaped into the wild and have evolved into the unique Australian rangeland goat.