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Dry conditions drive goat slaughter
Below average rainfall across much of the country during September saw Australian goat slaughter surge 42% year-on-year, to 225,229 head – the highest monthly kill since July 2014 and 30% above the five-year average (Australian Bureau of Statistics).
The dry conditions, conducive to goat harvesting, underpinned higher goat kills across all states during the month:
- Victoria – 103,026 head, up 69%
- Queensland – 79,457 head, up 23%
- SA – 30,401 head, up 25%
- NSW – 11,878 head, up 30%
- WA – 256 head, up 164%
- Tasmania – 211 head
As a result, Australian goatmeat production lifted 38% in September, to 3,574 tonnes cwt, driven by a 66% and 20% increase in Victoria (1,599 tonnes cwt) and Queensland (1,366 tonnes cwt), respectively.
The 12-16kg cwt Over-The-Hook (OTH) goat indicator, reported by MLA, averaged 471¢/kg cwt during September – 132¢/kg cwt higher than the corresponding month last year. Subsequently, OTH goat indicators have continued to edge higher, averaging 481¢/kg cwt (12-16kg cwt) in November, further incentivising producers to harvest for slaughter.
