Trade support the focus of new marketing initiatives
The Goat Meat Industry Marketing Committee met last week in Sydney to scrutinise existing MLA goat meat marketing activities and provide direction for future activities. The Committee is made up of producer representatives nominated by the Goat Industry Council of Australia (GICA) as well as representatives from the Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) and the domestic market processing sector.
Of particular interest was the presentation of trade material developed to support Australian goat meat in our major export markets, particularly the United States of America (US). The US is Australia’s largest market and accounted for over 58% of the 17,994 tonnes shipped weight (sw) of goat meat Australia exported in 2006-07.
At the last marketing committee meeting in 2007, the major Australian processors exporting goat meat to the US and the producer representatives at the meeting identified the development of trade support material as being the most important area requiring MLA marketing assistance. This was because of the value of the US market, its importance in underpinning goat prices in Australia and the lack of information about Australian goat meat available to the market.
In consultation with the processors and the MLA US regional office in Washington DC, two trade support tools were subsequently developed and published. These are the Australian Goatmeat basic cuts chart and a 4-page food safety brochure which explains why Australian goat meat is the best and safest in the world.
These brochures are now being distributed in Australia’s markets around the world, not just the US, through established supply chains to differentiate Australian goat meat from that of other countries. Importantly, the material is also helping to differentiate goat meat from other competing protein sources, particularly chicken.
Other issues discussed included several exciting opportunities in the domestic market including the development of online tools to assist domestic supply chains in marketing their product. Further information about these tools will be made available through the MLA website and Goats on the move as it becomes available.
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