Sydney based commodities trading company Antap International Pty Ltd, one of Australia's largest exporters of all kinds of meat into the Pacific region, plans to enter the domestic goat meat market early this year and is looking for producers to supply a top-end market with Boer cross or Kalahari Red cross carcases in the 18-25kg weight range.
Antap managing director John Wallace said the demand for a better quality goat carcase in Sydney and Melbourne domestic markets was very strong and increasing annually.
"We identified this trend over the last couple of years, with many of our regular meat wholesalers and butcher shops constantly asking for better quality goat carcases," he said. "We are looking for a premium product and we are prepared to pay producers a premium if they can supply the quality animals we require."
They need to be milk tooth and have at least 50 per cent Boer content, for the butcher shop and restaurant trade.
RELATED: Young gun vets the mob at Gundare
In order to gauge producer interest in supplying to this market, Antap is conducting a series of goat producer workshops in Queensland's south west in February, beginning at Cunnamulla on February 8 before moving to St George, Dirranbandi and Roma over the rest of the week.
Experienced goat consultant Graham Reimers has been engaged to deliver training modules aimed at increasing the knowledge base and profitability of all meat goat producers.
"While the goat industry is on a high at the moment, there is a need for much more producer education to further increase the profitability of goat producers" Mr Wallace said.
Antap plans to buy 600 goats a week, building up to 1000 head, for the southern butcher shop and restaurant trade, and is also investigating supplying a skin-on product to existing international clients.
Mr Reimers said that as well as looking at different carcase qualities, he would be talking to producers about using dairy goat genetics, so that kids reach market weight quicker.
"There's a massive void in goat producer education," he said.
ALSO MAKING NEWS:
Want daily news highlights delivered to your inbox? Sign up to the Queensland Country Life newsletter below.