THE possibility of ramping up the funds flowing into research and development for goat production in Australia is being considered, with a review underway of the animal transaction levy producers pay.
Goat prices have close to doubled in the past five years to currently sit around $9.20 a kilogram carcase weight and that has meant far more attention is being paid to management practices. Demand for R&D and marketing is increasing.
The current levy was introduced in 1997 and has remained at 37.7 cents since. This is the first time it has been reviewed.
Producers have been urged to have their say on whether the levy should be increased, and if so by how much, by contacting the Goat Industry Council of Australia.
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The Pastoralists' Association of West Darling, whose members likely contribute at least 25 per cent of the total goat levy income, has sent out four options for its people to vote on.
They are: retaining the levy at the current level, raising it to 50c, to $1 and to $2.
The goat levy is currently split this way: 10.5c goes to Meat & Livestock Australia for marketing, 16.7c goes to MLA for research and development, 6c goes to the national residue survey and 4.5c goes to Animal Health Australia.
The levy is payable on each transaction where the ownership of the goat changes from one person to another. For example, when goats are delivered to an abattoir, when breeding stock are sold to another producer or when stock are sold to a depot.
The GICA, the industry's peak council, provides strategic input and oversight of the broader investment portfolio. The annual goat research and development budget is currently around $1.3m.
The Australian Government matches eligible research and development expenditure dollar for dollar.
Recent investments in this space include the population modelling and forecasting program, an investigation into the causes and prevalence of kid loss and a national roadshow of producer events.