Live goat exports on rise

25 February 2010

AUSTRALIAN live goat exports have almost doubled during the past five years.

Goat meat and milk industries are booming as word spreads of the health benefits of consuming goat products.

Live exports jumped from 44,444 in 2004-05 to 87,507 in 2008-09, according to Meat and Livestock Australia.

NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria are the biggest goat exporters. Malaysia received 84.4 per cent of the nation's exports in 2008-09.

Boer Goat Breeders Association Victoria branch chairman Ian Turpin, who has a boer goat stud at Echuca, said the demand for goat meat had risen.

"There certainly is more interest in the meat," Mr Turpin said.

"Export-wise it just seems to be growing and growing.

"A huge amount of goats get exported every year."

Royal Agricultural Society NSW goat committee chairman Mal Morgan said both goat meat and milk were becoming increasingly sought after.

Mr Morgan said an industry day for NSW cheesemakers and distributors held recently had demonstrated the growing demand for goat milk.

"We brought in a range of distributors from NSW and ... (I understand) from them that goat cheese is in increasing demand," Mr Morgan said.

"They seemed to say it was always an issue in being able to get enough supply to satisfy the market.

"There are some magnificent goat cheeses being manufactured in Australia at the moment."

Mr Morgan said the goat meat industry and live exports started to take-off in the mid 1990s, following the introduction of the South African boer goat.

"The demand for goat meat domestically has really increased and with the infusion of the boer it has moved away from a rangeland or feral goat industry," Mr Morgan said.

"It (goat meat) has no religious constraints to it and it's a very healthy and lean meat with extremely low cholesterol.

"It's also being sold domestically in Melbourne and Sydney a bit too now. A lot of the selective restaurants do serve better cuts of goat meat."

Mr Turpin said that as the industry continued to grow it would face challenges such as a lack of infrastructure and a need to ensure ensure supply met demand.

He said it was important for the goat-meat industry to educate the public on the flavour, tenderness and health qualities of goat meat as well as improving industry infrastructure.

Read the full article