Benefits of Mixed Grazing with Goats

Summary

​A management package has been developed to assist new entrants to the industry and to facilitate a more managed approach to goat production in order to increase both production and also the continuity of supply and quality of goat meat. This managed approach will result in a decreased focus on opportunistic goat harvesting.

The management package consists of:

• An analysis report on the economic impact of the integration of goats into six existing sheep and cattle producing businesses in both the pastoral/rangeland and high rainfall/farmland zones in eastern and south eastern Australia.
• An annual goat management plan template for the high rainfall/farmland and pastoral/rangeland production zones developed and tested in conjunction with an advisory panel of goat producers.
• Three producer case studies outlining how goats have been successfully integrated into existing livestock systems. The case studies developed highlight the various motivations for going into goats, how goats were integrated into the existing livestock business and how goats have been managed in these businesses.
• Nine Fact Sheet resources developed based on topics resulting from suggestions made during a session themed- "If you were to do it all again, what information would you want to know?" as part of the one-day advisory panel workshop.

Objectives

The objectives of this project are to assist the goat industry to:

• Build sustainable supply from the rangelands, with goats being recognised and managed as a resource – not as either an opportunistic harvest or a pest animal to be controlled.
• Increase high-value goat production from agricultural areas – with goats being integrated into current mixed farming systems.
• Manage supply chains for increased reliability so markets may be developed with confidence and opportunities to grow the industry realised.
• Build the number and capacity of Australian goat producers.