Goat prices at highest levels

“I think we’ve seen the highest prices on record at the present time,” she said.

The average price a kilogram carcase weight last week was 552 cents and topped at 560c.

“It’s certainly the time to be in the industry and we are encouraging producers to look at goats not as a short term money-making opportunity, but a long term diversification option,” Ms Petty said.

“All the signs and signals we are receiving at the moment are saying that demand from overseas markets is incredibly strong and the product has been pulled through the supply chain so quickly because of that.”

April national slaughterings had decreased by three per cent year-on-year to 33,694 head, mainly due, according to the MLA, to colder weather conditions.

And while several processors have stepped in to slaughter goats due to mutton trade numbers decreasing, Dubbo goat specialist with P.T. Lord, Dakin, Joe Portelli, said supply, particularly from western areas had begun to “dry up”.

“Clients out Cobar way are now finding goat numbers had probably halved to what they used to catch,” he said.

“It’s a combination of the dry and demand pushing up prices and therefore more heavier harvesting.”

Mr Portelli believes this situation will stay the same for some time.

“Mutton numbers have dropped off, so goats are a second choice to consumers and some processors,” he said.

Ms Petty said strong international demand and a lower Australian dollar had assisted goat export values which increased 1pc from a year ago to $243.2 million.

“In 2015 goat slaughterings surpassed the previous year’s record reaching 2.14 million head,” she said.

However, Ms Petty said constant harvesting would dry up supplies and the continual moving goat populations were unreliable.

“From an industry growth perspective this is why the MLA is keen to see more people developing goat paddocks and establishing semi-managed herds,” she said.

“That would streamline supply and iron out the big peaks and troughs experienced throughout each year.”

She said there were people moving into semi-managed herd enterprises keeping younger nannies and joining them to rangeland bucks.

“The next step would be introducing Boer bucks for herd improvement programs and crossing throughout the captive herd.

“There is definitely a lot of potential for the industry to pursue that further.”