Goat production at record levels

According to Australian Bureau of Statistics data for quarter one of 2024, goat slaughter, including kids reached 754,141 head, the first time the number of goats processed in a single quarter was above 750,000.

The new record is 5.4 per cent higher than the previous record of 715,745 goats processed during quarter one of 2017.

Production is also at record levels with 11,777 tonnes of goat meat produced during the quarter, beating out the previous record from 2017, when 11,335 tonnes were produced in the first quarter.

In 2023, goat slaughter was a record high, with more than 2.35 million head processed, while production reached 28, 463 tonnes.

Meat & Livestock Australia markets information officer Stephen Bignell said slaughter was already ahead of 2023's levels at a similar time, with voluntary slaughter data for goats showing an average of 60,000 head being processed weekly over recent weeks.

"That would indicate that we could reach 2023 levels," he said.

"Last year started slow before finishing strong but we're currently sitting ahead of where we were this time last year.

Increased national goat processing is helping drive the record figures, with goat processing in NSW up more than four fold since March 2022, largely thanks to the reopening of Thomas Food International's Bourke processing plant.

Goat meat exports are also up, with the most recent quarter one of the highest in Australian history.

The over the hook goatmeat price has been falling since June 2022, with the the fall largely driven by the strong global supply of both goat and sheepmeat, Mr Bignell said.

"We know that seasonal conditions are good, we know that Bourke opening has allowed capacity in the supply chain and we also know that there have been moves into managed systems," he said.

In far western NSW, the Tilpa Goats depot, run by goat producer Ross Gates, has gone through significant periods of closure due to the high flows.

"You can't keep up with it," he said.

"We've been closed on and off since the start of November... we've really only been open for a month or two since then.

"You buy all your numbers that you need for a month in about a week at the moment.

"We're still processing 3000 to 4000 a week."

Meanwhile average carcase weights have remained between 15kg and 16kg for the fifth consecutive quarter.

Queensland goats however averaged 16.6kg/head for the quarters - the heaviest of any state by nearly 1kg.