GOAT prices continue to soar, with the latest report from Meat & Livestock Australia showing they have reached 700 cents a kilogram carcaseweight.
MLA goat industry manager Julie Petty said the price had been steadily increasing for the past two years.
“It’s driven by tighter supply and great demand internationally and domestically,” she said.
Ms Petty said it was difficult to tell if the price would continue to grow.
“It is extremely high and I’m not sure how much room there is to move,” she said.
“Even if it came back a bit, there are still good returns.”
To address supply concerns, Ms Petty said MLA was encouraing the goat industry to think sustainably.
“We want people to look at semi-managed options to make a more consistent supply,” she said.
“For producers in SA, if they are not able to farm goats, look to sell to producers across the border.”
Goat depot operator Paul Blacket, River Light Goats, Mallala, said the high prices were “fantastic” for the industry.
He said benefits for the high prices moved along the whole supply chain from pastoralists, to the trucking industry and goat depots.
Mr Blacket said the prices were driven by the export market, but domestic returns had kept pace.
While he celebrated the boost, he did not think they would remain high for long.
“I’d like to see it back about $1/kg for sustainability,” he said. “We don’t want to see highs and lows – it’s nice to have stability.”
In the meantime, he believed there was opportunities for those with goats to take advantage of the prices, although it could bring issues.
“I can see the numbers dropping because when prices are so high, people are mustering everything they can see which pulls breeding stock back,” he said.
“While prices are high, people should cash in but we’ve also got to be mindful to keep some for breeding.”
Mr Blacket said goat meat was growing in popularity in Australia, with some shops previously ordering about five goats a week asking for 40 to 50.
RLG sells goats to every state in Australia, except Tas, and has grown about 20 per cent each year for the past five years.