In far western NSW a load of 200 goats means serious cash flow for drought-stricken graziers. In fact it's worth around $15,000 and is the equivalent to a road train of hay.
But as a result of tough seasonal conditions in 2018, Australian goat production totalled 23,388 tonnes carcase weight - 26 per cent lower than 2017 Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) figures. Despite this decline in numbers, prices are hitting highs of $7/kilogram over the hooks enabling producers to make decent money from the animals.
With the high dollar value, there is a growing demand for small goats from NSW to be sent to southern Queensland where there has been rain and cluster fences has been erected. But those on this side of the border like Joe Baty are holding onto the valuable commodity.
"There is a huge demand from Queensland where there is cluster fencing, I could send 40,000 up there," Mr Baty said.
Mr Baty, who has a depot at Enngonia, said goats had dwindled from this time last year where he was doing up to 8000 goats a week, now he's down to around 2000.
At Broken Hill, John Blore from Silverton Goats, has been busy since Christmas averaging 2000 goats coming through each week.
"The conditions of the goats were poor over winter last year but they got better as things warmed up," Mr Blore said.
"They eat 80 per cent upper storage and 20 per cent grass so with no grass around at all they have fared better than other stock."
Meanwhile Bruce Mills, at Coolabah 70km north of Nyngan, who has been in the goat industry for 30 years says goats were spreading to areas they were never seen in before. He has travelled 450km to Merriwa for goats.
MLA goat industry project manager Julie Petty said the opportunity now was to build a sustainable future for the industry by leveraging all the goat's natural assets and setting firm goals for future growth.
Ms Petty said the industry's dynamics had changed dramatically in recent years including changing producer perceptions as the reliance on harvesting decreases, market growth both domestically and internationally, and high prices back to producers. She said these factors had placed pressure on the Australian goat population with slaughter numbers in 2018 decreasing by 20 per cent to 1.65 million head.
"Once the season eases in the major goat producer regions, it's likely the industry will move into a herd building phase," Ms Petty said.
"There are increasing numbers of small goats going to Queensland for restocking as those producers secure their properties with predator fencing."
- Goat conference unites industry, pg 82