A NEW initiative between one of Australia's largest goat processors and pastoralists from the Western Division of New South Wales is set to help curb the region's escalating wild dog problem.
As part of the plan, 50 cents from every goat sold from the region to T&R Pastoral will contribute to wild dog control.
After its first month in May, $4000 was provided to the Western Lands Division of NSW to be used for baits or other wild dog control costs.
T&R Pastoral national livestock manager Paul Leonard said wild dogs had devastated sheep, lamb and goat production in most of south-western Queensland which prompted them to create a similar scheme in that state eight months ago.
"We are aware that wild dogs have become a really bad problem in parts of Qld where we buy a lot of stock," he said.
"We were approached by pastoralists from the Western Division asking if we could introduce a similar scheme in their area and we decided to give a rebate back to the local council for wild dog prevention.
"We think this is a small way we can contribute to the industry".
Mr Leonard hoped other processors would join the scheme because it was a whole-of-industry issue.
"I would like to hope that other people who also have a stake in the industry will give us a call," he said.
Mr Leonard said, at this stage, the rebate would be assessed every six to 12 months but he hoped it would continue long-term.
"We will take a look and reassess with the WLD in regards to how funds have been distributed, what's been done and what impact the contribution has had," he said.
Mr Leonard said on average, the company bought about 5000 goats a week from the region.
"A lot of the organic lamb we sell also comes from this region," he said.
"We don't want to see the same thing that happened in Qld happen here. It is not in our interest to see lamb and sheep, or goat populations decimated."
In the past three years since T&R Pastoral first began processing goats, the company has grown to become one of the largest goat processors in Australia, killing on average about 11,000 goats a week in their Lobethal and Wallangarra, Qld, abattoirs.
"At the end of the day we still have to be commercial," Mr Leonard said.
"We try to do the right thing, and we ask people to give us a ring and ask us for a quote, no strings attached, if they have goats they wish to sell."
*Full report in Stock Journal, July 12 issue, 2012.
