GICA sets sights on 2026 and beyond
A note from John Falkenhagen, GICA President
It’s no secret the Australian goat industry is one of the most diverse and rapidly evolving sectors in agricultural production. As our sector grows, so does the need for tactile and practical support, research, and investment.
For more than 25 years, the Goat Industry Council of Australia (GICA) has represented the interests of Australian goat producers across four key commodity groups – dairy, fibre, rangeland and meat.
Our objective throughout has been simple: to bring value back to producers and advance the sector.
The GICA Board took stock of our progress during our annual face-to-face meeting. A key component of our discussion was the review and extension of the strategic plan.
Two years ago, we set six development of the sector over a four year period. These pillars are:
- Livestock
- People
- Customers, Consumers & Community
- Environment
- Marketing
- Systems
Since setting the strategic direction, the industry has grown significantly. Last year alone, we:
- recorded 51,488 tonnes in goatmeat production – the largest amount produced by Australia and a 47% increase on 2023 (MLA)
- exported goatmeat to 33 countries − valued at $364 million (MLA)
- accounted for 48% of global goatmeat exports (MLA).
While these are significant achievements, there’s still plenty to do to maintain sustainable growth and to ensure our approach is as versatile as the animals we rear and care for. As such, we’ve extended our plan to align with other primary commodity groups – now with the end date of 2030.
This also ensures we support the industry in all strategic pillars across every commodity.
Our work today informs the future of the goat industry.
The structure of GICA consists of state farming organisations (SFO) and commodity representatives. This ensures everyone has a seat at the table. Our organisation is volunteer-based and leadership is served on a term basis.
This structure means everyone has opportunity to contribute to the future of our industry.
Regardless of your background, representative experience, or industry involvement, you have a perspective worth sharing. GICA exists to amplify the voice of the goat industry and we can only do that if we have diverse voices and experiences in our council.
As we firm up our strategy and continue to deliver back cross-commodity, GICA has some exciting things planned for 2026, including a roadshow and more.
