Australia notches up a record year of goat production in 2023

Meat & Livestock Australia’s (MLA) 2024 Global Goat Snapshot has shown that Australian goatmeat production is soaring.

This comes following 2023’s record year for Australian goatmeat production, with goatmeat production and the number of animals processed more than doubling over three years to achieve the highest production volume ever recorded in Australia at 36,903 tonnes.

MLA’s Category & Market Insights Analyst, Emiliano Diaz, said that the 2024 Global Goat Snapshot offers analyses Australia's leading role in the global goatmeat market, analysing domestic production, supply volumes, pricing, export figures and market access conditions.

Australia remains the world’s largest goatmeat exporter, with 2023 also representing the second-highest volume of goatmeat exported ever.

This is partly due to lower prices for goatmeat which supported higher export volumes, although this affected the total export value in 2023, seeing it fall by 10% compared to the record-high year of 2022.

The United States remains the largest market for Australian goatmeat, with volumes more than double those of the second-largest market, mainland China.

While goatmeat is a niche protein with low awareness among the general American public, demand is skewed to the large populations of several ethnic backgrounds including Caribbean and Asian populations and concentrated in specific cities as shown in the Snapshot.

Mainland China surged as the second largest market, followed by South Korea, which continued its rapid growth for the fourth consecutive year.

These markets continue to have a growing appetite for Australian goatmeat, which is a key consideration for MLA’s International Markets teams.

While around 95% of Australian goatmeat is exported, Mr Diaz said that the domestic market also represents a significant market and opportunity, with specific consumer segments driving growth.

“In early 2024 MLA launched the Goat Trail campaign, a consumer-focused campaign that aims to drive awareness of goatmeat on local menus and show consumers where to find and experience it in Sydney,” Mr Diaz said.

“This initiative is capitalising on the opportunity for broader appeal and increased product availability and showcases the versatility and novelty of this underrated protein.”