Farm Tender

Australian Live Goat Exports are declining

Live exports have diminished from 88,897 in 2014-15 to just 16,578 in the last financial year, according to the Department of Agriculture and Water

Demand for Australian goats declined in the last 3 years

Australia is exporting fewer goats due to a decline in demand for live animals, informs Weekly Times Now magazine, who is quoting data from the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources’ annual report.

The country’s live goat trade is diminishing due to the fact that it was just a niche market supplying Malaysia. “Domestic goat prices have grown significantly in the past couple of years, which has meant Australian live goats are far less competitive in Malaysia when compared to other sources. Hence importers have reduced their orders and, in some cases, opted to import more lambs via airfreight instead of goats", mentioned a spokesman from the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council.

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Meat and Livestock Australia’s goat industry project manager, Julie Petty, said the decline coincided with a reduction in numbers, with the NSW goat population lower this year after a drop last year. NSW supplies most of the goats for this market. “Hopefully the population will be bumped up by more producers in Queensland getting into goats,” Ms Petty said.