Goat Meat on the Rise

Weekly Times Now ^ | February 28, 2013 | Fiona Myers

[nickcarraway]

GOAT meat enjoyed an export revival last year as North American demand surged.

But it's a double-edged sword for goat producers, for while exports are up, relative value is down.

The export market is largely fed by rangeland or feral goat meat.

Total goat meat exports rose 12 per cent last year, but their $133 million value was only 4 per cent higher than the year before.

Canada took 30 per cent more goat meat and Australia's major customer, the US, upped its take by 6 per cent.

Statistics from the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries show Australia exported 29,000 tonnes of goat meat last year, which was up 12 per cent on the previous year and 31 per cent on the five year average.

Most went to the US, which took 16,078 tonnes or 55 per cent of all exports followed by Taiwan, with almost 4000 tonnes.

The big mover in the past 12 months, however, was Canada, where the 2038 tonnes represented a 48 per cent jump on the five year average. Some markets did dip with Trinidad and Tobago back 3 per cent to 1887 tonnes and Korea down 11 per cent to 802 tonnes.

Boer Goat Breeders Association of Australia treasurer Geoff Mitchell said exports of goat meat were predominantly from rangeland goats, rather than farmed goats infused with Boer genetics.

"It is good to see goat exports increasing, especially with the strength of the Australian dollar," he said.

"But the cost of production for rangeland goats is very small compared to farmed goats."

Mr Mitchell said goat was the most widely eaten protein in the world, but Australian exports were limited by domestic production in the countries where goat is eaten.

"There are many countries which eat goat, but they also produce a lot of goat domestically," he said.

Almost all farmed goat in Australia is sold on the domestic market, mostly through specialist butcher shops.

"The market is growing, but is also being held back, because sometimes the lower quality rangeland goats are pushed onto the domestic market," Mr Mitchell said.

"The local market will keep growing, though, because goat is a lean, healthy meat and people want to try something different.

[gopheraj]

He must have either added a LOT of lard to it (since goat meat is very lean) OR it was sheep. A bbq’ed sheep hot off the grill is goood but not after it’s cooled. The fat congeals on it.

[Rappini]

Now that’s funny,thanks.