Goat Central

Solid goat meat prices and demand will mean more market development

Sheep Central, December 13, 2016
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SOLID demand and growing investment in Australia’s goat meat industry is likely to continue the market’s development in 2017, according to Meat & Livestock Australia.

Despite solid demand from international markets, lower production meant Australian goat meat exports declined 21 percent on year-ago levels, to 23,797 tonnes, for the year-to-November.

MLA said shipments to the United States accounted for 66pc of total exports for the year-to-date, at 15,776 tonnes, to be firm year-on-year. Other top export destinations for the year included Taiwan with shipments totalling 2782 tonnes, down 19pc; the Caribbean, down 19pc to 1558 tonnes, and Korea, down 11pc to 1359 tonnes.

Australian over-the-hook export goat indicators reached unprecedented levels in 2016, moving from strength-to-strength as the year progressed, MLA said. The prices were largely underpinned by tighter supplies, the development of new processing facilities and growing demand for the end product, domestically and overseas.

Further support for Australian goat meat export returns have come from exchange rates. Although the $A dropped below US70 cents in January 2016, it has since hovered around US75 cents for the remainder of the year, MLA said.

The eastern states over-the-hook export goat indicator (12-16kg cwt) reached a top of 611c/kg in 2016 and averaged 556c/kg for the year – 261 cents higher than the five year average of 295c/kg.

The average weekly eastern states goat slaughter for 2016-to-date was 27,997 head – 15pc lower than the five-year average of 32,449 head. The tighter supplies were largely due to the wetter conditions and a previous extended period of high slaughter having an impact on numbers in paddocks and rangelands, MLA said.

Australian goat meat production from January to October 2016 eased 11pc year-on-year to 23,623 tonnes. Victoria accounted for almost half of the total, at 11,389 tonnes, to be firm year-on-year.

Source: MLA.

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