GOAT meat is in vogue. It is gaining a prominent place in inner-city butcher shops and expanding into mainstream markets.
With booming domestic demand and growth in traditional export markets, Australian pastoralists are reaping the rewards of harvesting rangeland goats or better managing goat herds as a resource.
But securing a consistent supply and quality is challenging the fledgling industry.
South Australia lags behind other states in the development of the goat industry with no room to move within tough legislative boundaries which prevent any management of rangeland goats beyond trucking them off the property, or shooting.
In New South Wales and Queensland, pastoralists are cashing-in on rangeland goats on their properties, with some value-adding to rangeland stocks by introducing Boer goat genetics to boost muscle development.
Meat & Livestock Australia's goat meat industry development and agribusiness manager Blair Brice said that despite SA legislation holding back producers from the full benefits of goat, there were big opportunities in harvesting rangeland goats to feed burgeoning global demand.
"There is huge opportunity for producers in supplying goat meat, both rangeland-harvested or farmed," he said.
"There is very strong demand at the domestic and export level and the challenge we need to overcome is developing a consistent supply of a consistent quality."
Mr Brice said prices, which peaked at $3.90 a kilogram carcase-weight, had now come off slightly, in line with other meat markets.
He said reasons for the drop included the high Australian dollar, increase in supply on the back of fantastic seasons in the pastoral zone, and price pressures on commodities as a result of the global financial crisis.
But he said that despite these pressures, demand was booming.
"New markets are showing more interest, especially South East Asian markets including Vietnam and Korea," Mr Brice said.
"As an industry, we need to tap into Asia more, and the opportunities there.
"We need to work with the pastoral industry to manage goats as a resource, rather than a pest.
"NSW is the leading light in this approach, and so is Queesland. There are no legislative impediments to managing rangeland goats as there are in some other states.
"Producers are allowed to develop infrastructure to manage goats and benefit from the income received on minimal investment."
*Full report in Stock Journal, May 10 issue, 2012.
