5 Jul 2010

Goat meat organisation seen as needed for exports

5:40 pm on 5 July 2010

A Central Otago goat farmer says New Zealand would have a better chance of tapping into overseas goat-meat markets if it formed an industry organisation.

Dave Aitken says without a body to solely promote goats, the industry will just continue to drift.

He says work is under way to form Meat Goat New Zealand.

Mr Aitken says the bulk of the meat at the moment is low-value feral meat, but New Zealand would like to change that to a higher-value market with better-quality product.

He says 500,000 animals killed would make it a very good industry.

Mr Aitken says the current goat kill in this country is about 85,000 and the potential to market the meat overseas is huge.

He says money held by Meat & Wool New Zealand from the old goat meat levy will be used towards projects to help improve the goat industry.