Record year for Australian goat industry as price pressure remains

Goat slaughter and production reached record levels in 2023, driven by strong supply and low pricing. According to recently released Australian Bureau of Statistic data, slaughter increased by 41pc from 2022 to more than 2.35 million head while production increased by 30pc to 28, 463 tonnes. It puts 2023 above the previous production records set in 2014, when slaughter reached 2.13 million. Victoria contributed 47pc of the total slaughter, processing more than a million head in 2023. MLA category and market insights analyst Emiliano Diaz said volumes had been increasing since the twenty-year low seen in 2020. "At the end of 2022 we had an issue with demand because the prices were a bit high but as soon as prices went down, demand started slowing from many countries," he said. "China for instance saw their opportunity and started buying but other markets as well like Trinidad and Tobago, they started jumping back in the trade because the price is very favourable for them. "If the ...