- RELATED: Goat prices match lamb rates
MAURICE Walsh has been backgrounding goats for some 15 years at Murrami between Leeton and Griffith, and is a regular buyer at the Dubbo goat sale.
He plies the domestic trade and skin-on markets and sells to abattoirs in Myrtleford and Wodonga, Victoria, and Cootamundra.
Inspecting Boer and Boer cross bucks at Dubbo saleyards prior to the recent quarterly goat sale where he is a regular attendee, Mr Walsh said he aimed to purchase upwards of 300 to 600 head.
Mr Walsh said he was quite specific in what he selects to buy.
“I buy goats weighing between 10 to 24 kilograms live and grow them out and finish them at between 28kg to 54kg,” he said.
The heavyweights go to the heavy domestic market and the lightweights for the skin-on market.
Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) goat industry project manager, Julie Petty, said skin-on product was in demand.
“Some exporters are supplying skin-on carcases that are de-haired in a process similar to pigs, then frozen and exported as whole carcases,” she said.
Some value-adding is also conducted where carcases are “blow-torched” to crisp and brown the outside skin giving a smokey flavour which is enjoyed by Chinese consumers.
Ms Petty said of the 30,000 tonnes exported goat meat, close to 18,000t or 54pc went to the United States for Muslim and Hispanic consumers.
Of live exports totalling more than 90,000 head, some 90pc goes to Malaysia.
