State's goat population grows; market expectations cited

By LYNN MONTGOMERY | East Texas Edition

More and more goats, including these milk goats, are calling Texas home. A common goal for the marketing of goats is needed, according to one expert. -- Staff photo

July 15, 2004 - The number of goats, whether it be Boer, Spanish, Pygmy, etc., is ever increasing in the state. During a recent goat seminar at Texas A&M-Commerce, Dr. Steve Hart, a researcher at a USDA-funded institute in Langston, Okla., spoke about the outlook on this ag commodity.

Hart began his presentation with a brief history, stating prior to the last decade goats were sold for $15- to $20-per-head.

About 40 years ago, Angoras were at the top of Texas' goat population listing.

"In 1965, there were four-and-a-half-million Angora goats, most were used for mohair but some went to meat. In the 1990s, this number dropped to two million and the mohair incentive plummeted like a rock. Roughly there are 200,000 (Angora goats) presently," Hart said.

Boer goats, mainly used for meat production, were imported into the United States in 1993. With this addition, the goat industry, according to Hart, became heavily merchandised, owning goats became respectable, and it created business for those who sell supplies and equipment.

Many of the investors behind the Boer goat importation were ratite investors, some of whom had lost money in the emu/ostrich/rhea run.

Hart added the trend for the industry is "a strong meat goat market." This market stems from a strong demand from ethnic consumers and the potential to make a profit.

"Roughly 96 to 98 percent of goat meat comes in from Australia. These goats are feral. The price is $1.10 per pound for a frozen carcass, but most ethnics prefer fresh meat. In New York, 30 percent of (the goat) meat is actually from Australia," Hart said.

The potential for profits is currently evident by the lack of supply, and, Hart added "more ethnic (populations) are on the way, and the present ethnic market is not saturated."

To meet the growing demand, more farms are engaging in meat goat production. Hart reported an increase in the number of small farms involved with meat goats. The growth is derived from goats being well suited to small acreage and easier to handle than cattle. The researcher also pointed out that most of the goat producers tend to be semi-retired or retired.

The increased production has also lead to more goat shows at county and state fairs.

"There are more goat kids shown than lamb. The goat show business is a lucrative market for better quality animals. It is also an economical show project for parents and a growing market in the future," the researcher said.

Hart explained some people are using goats for pasture management, instead of mowing or applying herbicides. Goats are also used to reduce fire hazards in forested residential areas.

Hart, a native East Texan who grew up outside of Paris, stated a problem in the goat industry is there are four breed associations and one industry organization, but "there is a lack of unity in the industry's priorities. We need to educate."

He also noted that with the goat population growth there is a need for more veterinarians who specialize in goat health.

In conclusion, Hart said the outlook for meat goat producers is "very good" and pricing looks "strong." A growth in fresh goat meat will likely displace the imported, frozen product.

The researcher pointed out the biggest threat to the industry in the near future is a dewormer-resistant parasite.

"We will have to rely on techniques other than dewormers to control worms," he said. Other techniques could be animal selection, pasture rotation, co-species grazing, and low stocking rates.

The seminar was a joint effort between the North East Texas Goat Raisers Association, Texas Cooperative Extension, Texas A&M-Commerce, and the E (Kika) de la Garza Institute at Langston University.

Dr. Pat Bagley, head of the agriculture sciences department at Texas A&M-Commerce, also informed the audience that the university would be doing a joint meat goat research project with Langston, and "a memorandum of understanding" would be forth coming.