GOAT prices keep hitting new highs, with Thomas Foods International paying $7.20 a kilogram carcaseweight.
TFI national small stock livestock manager Paul Leonard said that price was one of the highest being offered in the nation. He said with temporary closures of abattoirs interstate, prices in other areas had come back to $6.80-$7/kg.
“By maintaining the price at $7.20/kg we’ve been able to source quite a few goats that were heading south, but have now come to us,” he said. “We’ve held that price for about six weeks.”
TFI also set a goat kill record for SA in March, processing 18,000 in one week.
“There’s high demand from a sales perspective, and nothing to suggest, in the short to medium term, that it will change,” he said.
Prime Valley Pastoral abattoir general manager David Lock, Two Wells, said demand for goat meat was significant both domestically and in export markets.
“As processors of skin-on and skinless goat we are seeing demand across both variations growing day-in and day-out,” he said.
“Domestically, the demand is up 100 per cent from 24 months ago, which is attributable to the further establishment of reliable wholesale channels into the Indian, Chinese and Middle Eastern communities in particular.
“But, price is tempering some demand, as many wholesalers are finding it difficult to come to terms with how to reposition the end-sale price to their customers.”
According to Meat & Livestock Australia data, Australian goatmeat exports totalled 3967 tonnes shippedweight for March, bringing the first quarter total to 10,004t, 15pc higher year-on-year.
Goatmeat exports to all major export destinations increased during March.
Shipments to the United States totalled 3050t, up 10pc year-on-year, while exports to Canada lifted 28pc to 100t.
Volumes to Japan increased 10pc to 67t, while shipments to Korea gained 11pc to total 218t.
The greatest shift in exports was to Taiwan, with exports reaching 461t in March, but off a low base last year of 78t.
MLA goat industry project manager Julie Petty said short-term supply of goats had reduced across the nation, with more producers retaining pregnant does and young animals.
“In SA there’s regulations preventing pastoral leases from holding goats beyond 60 days,” she said.
“There’s a massive opportunity to really help the industry by sending restocking supplies to NSW and Qld.
“Producers there are banging down the door, wanting animals for herd start-ups
“For SA farmers, it offers extra income and they’re getting animals off the land as required.”
