Live Goat export market decimated during COVID-19
- By: "Farm Tender" News
- Ag Tech News
- Jun 01, 2020
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Live goat exports from Australia have dropped by 85% in the first quarter of the year. Despite that Ramadan season is one of the most profitable for live goat exporters, with Malaysia being the largest export market, this year the lockdown caused by the coronavirus crisis has curtailed the demand for live goats.
"Live goats are almost exclusively exported by air – with Malaysia by far the largest market – but with the onset of a global pandemic, overall live goat exports have declined by around 85% in the calendar year to March. In Malaysia, many food service and retail facilities are closed, and the operations of abattoirs and other facilities along the supply chain have been affected by domestic movement restrictions in place due to COVID-19. This has drastically reduced demand for live goats", reported Meat and Livestock Australia.
At the same time, goatmeat exports have plunged by 29% in the first four months of the year compared with the same period of 2019. Global demand for goatmeat overall has slowed due to COVID-19 restrictions and as Australian goat prices have increased. The US is the main destination for Australian goatmeat accounting for 70% of the exported volumes in 2019, followed by Taiwan, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago and Canada.
The value of Australian goatmeat exports totaled A$235.7 million (US $155 million) in 2019, up 29% on the year prior, supported by increased prices.
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