Seven Hills, Tallarook Goat Farmer.
Goats in the bush ‘rest’ paddock.
Goat meat is becoming increasingly popular in Australia, with production soaring yet again after a record year.
Meat & Livestock Australia says Australian goat meat production is soaring in 2024.
This follows 2023’s record year, with goat meat production and the number of animals processed more than doubling over three years to achieve the highest production volume ever recorded in Australia at 36,903 tonnes.
MLA analyst Emiliano Diaz said the 2024 Global Goat Snapshot analysed domestic production, supply volumes, pricing, export figures and market access conditions.
Australia remains the world’s largest goat meat exporter, with 2023 also representing the second-highest volume of goat meat exported ever.
This is partly due to lower prices for goat meat which supported higher export volumes, although this affected the total export value in 2023, seeing it fall by 10 per cent compared to the record-high year of 2022.
The United States remains the largest market for Australian goat meat, with volumes more than double those of the second-largest market, mainland China.
While goat meat is a niche protein with low awareness among the general American public, demand is skewed to the large populations of several ethnic backgrounds including Caribbean and Asian populations and concentrated in specific cities.
China surged as the second largest market, followed by South Korea, which continued its rapid growth for the fourth consecutive year.
These markets continue to have a growing appetite for Australian goat meat.
While about 95 per cent of Australian goat meat is exported, Emiliano said the domestic market also represented a significant market and opportunity, with specific consumer segments driving growth.
