Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Status and trends of goat farms and the industry
According to the 2007 U.S. Department of Agriculture-
National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS),
the goat population in the U.S. is a little over 3 million
head. Goat numbers doubled from 1985 to 2007
(Figure 1.2). In 2007, more than 83% of goats in the U.S.
were meat goats, 10% were dairy goats, and 7% were
Angora goats (Table 1.9 ).
According to the USDA Census (2002), the number of
all-goat farms increased more than 19%, and the goat
population increased by over 12% from 1997 to 2002;
however, the number of farms selling goats increased by
over 45%, and goat sales were up by more than 55%.
USDA-NASS (2007) sample data indicated that the total
number of goats continued to increase, being up 19% from
the 2002 USDA Census. The number of meat goat farms
increased by 18%, and the number of meat goats increased
more than 57% from 1997 to 2002. The number of farms
selling meat goats increased by 48% with an increase
of more than 108% in meat goat sales. According to the
2007 USDA-NASS sample data, meat goat population
was up another 29% from the 2002 USDA Census. The
number of dairy goat farms increased by 45%, and dairy
goat numbers increased by 52.5% from 1997 to 2002. The
number of farms selling dairy goats increased by 71%, and
the number of dairy goats sold increased 57%. According
to the 2007 USDA-NASS sample data, the number of dairy
goats had increased by another 5% from 2002.
During the same period, the number of Angora goat
farms declined by over 63% from 1997 to 2002. The
number of farms selling Angora goats also declined with
61% fewer Angora goats being sold. Sample data indicated
that the number of Angora goats declined another 29%
from 2002 to 2007. Although there was a drastic reduction
in Angora goat numbers and sales, the increase in the total
goat population in the U.S. can be attributed partially to a
small increase in the numbers of dairy goats, and a major
increase in the numbers of meat goats.
The majority of the meat goats are produced in the South
and the Southeast regions of the U.S. In contrast, the states
producing dairy goats are located in the Midwest and
West, with a small number in the Northeast. The majority
of the Angora goats are produced in the South and the
Southwest.
Texas leads the nation with the largest number of
goats: 44% of the meat goats, more than 70% of the
Angora goats, and more than 8% of the dairy goats (Table
1.10 ).
According to the USDA-NASS 2007 data, Missouri and
Florida had the greatest percentage increase in the number
Table 1.7
Top exporters of goat meat.
Country
Goat meat (MT)
% Total
Australia
20,199
41.1
Ethiopia
12,659
25.7
China
4,406
8.9
Pakistan
3,650
7.4
France
2,666
5.4
Saudi Arabia
1,410
2.8
New Zealand
1,132
2.3
Others
3,145
6.4
World
49,137
100
Source: FAOSTAT, 2005 .
Table 1.8
Top importers of goat meat.
Country
Goat meat (MT)
%
U.S.
9,653
22.6
United Arab Emirates
7,119
16.7
China
6,599
15.5
Qatar
3,013
7.0
China, Hong Kong
2,680
6.3
Saudi Arabia
2,511
5.9
France
1,470
3.4
Italy
1,459
3.4
Canada
1,302
3.0
Others
6,914
16.2
World
42,680
100
Source: FAOSTAT, 2005 .
almost 55% of the total goat meat imports (Table 1.8).
Goat milk and skin are not traded according to the
FAOSTAT Web site, and trade of goat cheese is minimal.
THE GOAT INDUSTRY IN THE U.S.
As a contrast with the situation in the developing countries,
it seems relevant to examine the goat industry of the U.S.
and its outlook.
In the U.S., goats are used mainly for meat, milk, and
fi ber production, for vegetation control and management,
and for reducing the fuel for wildfi re.
Meat goat production in the U.S. has increased in recent
years because of a growing population of ethnic and faith-
based groups that consume goat meat. The national esti-
mates, based on import data only, indicate that in 2007 the
U.S. had a defi cit of more than 718,000 goats relative to
the current demand for goat meat (Solaiman, 2007).
