Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
U.S. experience; for milk and dairy products, information
reported by Mowlem (2005) is used to depict the U.K.
experience; and for fi ber (mohair), information reported by
Jordaan and Kristen (2008) is used to demonstrate the
South African experience. These reports are included to
increase awareness of the challenges faced in goat meat,
milk, and fi ber market situations across the globe.
refl ects that the suppliers were not well organized. Even
though the majority of the suppliers had been in business
for more than 5 years, they did not have an organized
system of marketing, and only 26% were ready to get
into a contract with other suppliers. The main marketing
outlet was auction markets where price is decided by
the wholesalers and where producers' benefi t is mini-
mized. The current structure of goat meat distribution
and the retail market is complex, fragmented, and domi-
nated by small enterprises revolving around consuming
ethnic groups. In order to remain competitive, producers
need to develop strategies to compete with new goat
producers. In the long run, U.S. goat meat producers are
not limited to local demand for goat meat, but they have
an opportunity to meet the increasing demand for goat
meat in the traditional meat-importing countries (Kebede,
2005 ).
In summary, this study suggests that if goat meat pro-
ducers develop strategies to promote their product and
identify their consumers, they can establish a sustainable
market and income.
Goat Meat Marketing — Southeastern U . S . Experience
Historically, goats in the U.S. have been used principally
for fi ber and milk production. However, recent increases
in demand for goat meat from certain ethnic groups, and
to a lesser extent, from health-conscious groups have
shifted some emphasis from fi ber and milk production to
meat production (Shelton, 1992). The numbers of goats
slaughtered in federally and state inspected plants have
increased in the last decade as indicated in Chapter 1. The
shift in both supply and demand is an indicator of industry
growth. The average price per kg of imported goat meat
in the U.S. has increased from $2.30 in 1999 to $3.80 in
2006 (Solaiman, 2007) and continues to increase. Current
projections show an increase in the consumption of goat
meat and milk products in the U.S. that will continue in
the future.
Goat Milk Marketing — The U . K . Experience
In the U.K., the current practice of goat production is a
result of changes in agriculture in the last 4 to 5 decades.
A decline in farm income led to the decline in farm
numbers followed by more mechanization and less labor.
Many smaller farms have been incorporated with bigger
units. This rationalization pushed the farmers away from
the traditional production systems to more diversifi ed pro-
duction systems. Many farms now have a large recre-
ational arrangement and a service-orientated approach.
Goat farming has also developed as part of this diversifi ca-
tion. Goat farmers in the U.K. are similar to those in the
U.S.—some are goat enthusiasts who have developed their
hobby into a business, and some are from other businesses
or professions who have added a dairy goat enterprise to
their existing farm activities (Mowlem, 2005).
G
OAT
M
EAT
M
ARKET
C
HANNELS
Goat meat marketing is not well organized and is essen-
tially an individual venture where price varies widely. An
organized marketing channel for goat meat will enable a
higher farm-gate price. The market is constrained by iso-
lated consumer demand, seasonal demand, and an unin-
formed public. Producers lack adequate market information
on consumer preferences and they just sell to the customers
they know. Southern and Southeastern states in the U.S.
are major meat goat producing regions. However, the
majority of goat meat is transported and consumed in the
Northeast. Goat meat is produced predominantly by small
producers in the U.S.
G
OAT
M
EAT
M
ARKET
S
TUDY
A study was conducted that assessed the goat meat market-
ing channels in seven Southeastern states: Alabama,
Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina,
and South Carolina, to draw conclusions about the poten-
tial strategies to organize market outlets for small produc-
ers. The results of the study indicated that about 37% of
all the stores listed as selling meat and poultry products in
the selected cities were also selling goat meat. About 89%
of goat meat consumers were people of ethnic origin. A
wide price variation was observed in the survey, which
M
ILK
P
ROCESSING
Goat milk is processed at different scales into different
products for consumption. There are three distinct groups
of processors: those who keep a small number of goats
as a hobby and process their own milk for family consump-
tion; small-scale producers/processors; and the large
processors.
The small-scale producers/processors usually make
moderate amounts of products that will be mainly sold
through specialty shops, to the catering industry, and/or
retailed by the processors themselves. The large-scale pro-
