Meat goats

Introduction

The latest annual Goat Market Value Chain Profile, compiled by the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD), provides an excellent overview of goats in South Africa. Find this document under the Directorate Marketing web pages at www.dalrrd.gov.za.

The unimpressive goat is, in reality, one of nature’s most useful animals. It can be used for meat, fibre, milk, skins and manure. Owing to its great adaptability it can survive almost anywhere in South Africa.

  • Goat milk is highly prized for its quality of being less prone to cause allergies in humans than cow’s milk.
  • Mohair is one of the rare noble fibres of the world.
  • The Boer goat’s meat contains less fat, fewer calories and higher levels of protein and iron than meat from beef, pork, lamb and chicken. It is often called “chevon”, and from young animals, “cabrito”.

This article looks at the meat aspect and the information that is common to all goat enterprises, whether they be meat, mohair or milk. See the separate pages that are more specific to mohair and goat milk.

Contents

Contents

International business environment
Local business environment
Farming with goats
National strategy and government contact
Role players
Websites and publications

International business environment

South Africa is a relatively minor role player when it comes to goats, possessing approximately 3% of Africa’s goat population and less than 1% of the world’s. China, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh are the major goat producing countries. In Africa, Nigeria, Sudan and Kenya are where you will find most of the continent’s goats.

The developing world accounts for some 96% of the world’s goats. Developed countries are the dominant market for goat products though. Were production systems to be improved, this has the potential to become a major earner of foreign exchange for developing countries.

 

Further reference:

 

South Africa: exports and imports

Goats were included in a study undertaken by the Trade Research Advisory on the opportunities for various industries to grow and/or diversify their exports. Refer to article “Study highlights potential export markets for South African, SADC products” (May 2022) under the last heading.

TradeProbe 86 (August 2021) included the feature “South Africa’s goat industry and its prospects to supply local and international markets”.

In the 26 February 2019 briefing, Mr Mike Mlengana, then Director-General (DG) of the Department, said that Saudi Arabia wished to source one million goats per year from South Africa. DALRRD was working hard to ensure that this demand was met, was fully supporting the black commercialisation programme, and the black farmers involved had been identified. Find the Parliamentary Committee briefing at https://pmg.org.za/committee-meeting/27958/.

Find the “Marketing”, “International / Export” menu options on www.kalaharikid.co.za.

Local business environment

The Goat Market Value Chain Profile provides information on the local business environment. Find it on the Directorate Marketing, web pages at www.dalrrd.gov.za.

The Eastern Cape (38%), Limpopo (17%) and KwaZulu-Natal (13%) are the largest goat producers, with nearly 70% of the total production (DALRRD, 2021).

Commercial farming is done with Boer goats and Angora goats. Small-scale producers mainly work with indigenous goats in a communal farming system.

The Boer goat, Savanna and Kalahari Red are currently recognised as commercial goat breeds for the production of meat and skins and small quantities of cashmere. Mohair is produced from Angora goats. Saanen, Toggenburg and Alpine goats are mainly kept for milk production. Gorno Altai goats produce cashmere. The several indigenous breeds are very well adapted to South African conditions, and seldom get foot rot. Some types are also resistant to Heartwater.

Almost all goats are marketed live. The marketing channels for live goats in South Africa are

  • Live animal auctions
  • Carcass auctions
  • Out-of-hand sales (buyers buy directly from producers)
  • Transactions by means of Liaison Services (agents who connect people but do not handle money in the process)
  • speculators

Goat’s meat has traditionally been consumed mainly by the Muslim and rural African sectors of the population.

Slaughtering of goats at abattoirs is recorded with sheep, so figures are difficult to gauge. Most goats are slaughtered on an informal basis and/or for traditional purposes (weddings and funerals). The commercial sector is responsible for less than one percent of the goats slaughtered in the country. The informal market of goats thus drives the South African goat industry.

It has long been a hope that Boer goat farming and exporting will attract thousands of black emerging and small-scale farmers. Local herds and breeding material have been too small to meet overseas demands.

Farming with goats

Find the Boer Goat Management option at www.boergoats.co.za and other useful resources under the “Websites and publications” heading.

National strategy and government contact

Goats have featured in various national and provincial government initiatives, be it national strategies like the old Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) or provincial ones by bodies such as the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development or the Ntinga OR Tambo Development Agency. Watch the video of the uMsinga Goat Project in KwaZulu-Natal at www.kzndard.gov.za/umsinga-goat-project

Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRD) Directorate: Animal and Aquaculture Production Tel: 012 319 7493 Goat statistics can be found on www.dalrrd.gov.za (find the Statistics menu option under the publications at “Resource Centre”).

Role players

 

Associations

These associations (along with the Milch Goat Breeders’ Society) are affiliated to SA Studbook. See www.sastudbook.co.za.

 

Training and Research

  • Agricultural Colleges, working closely with the Provincial Departments of Agriculture, offer courses on goat production. Examples include Cedara, Fort Cox and Glen College. Find contact details of all Agricultural Colleges on the “Agricultural education and training” page.
  • ARC-Animal Production The ARC–AP Small Stock Section offers technology transfer services in a form of training to individuals involved in goat farming, and research on the nutrition of goats. See www.arc.agric.za. [Website not working, 9 May 2022]
  • Boergoats South Africa www.boergoats.co.za Johan Steyn runs the “Profitable Boer Goat Farming Course”.
  • Dicla Training and Projects www.diclaprojectsandtraining.com Courses are offered in meat goat management
  • Döhne Agricultural Development Institute Tel: 043 683 1240
  • Eastcape Midlands College (EMC) www.emcol.co.za The EMC has previously run courses on keeping goats.
  • Goats Unlimited www.facebook.com/Goats-Unlimited-258846851160944/
  • Grootfontein Agricultural Development Institute (GADI) https://gadi.dalrrd.gov.za GADI undertakes research and provides training in the theory and practice of small stock production. It also undertakes extension and outreach.
  • Kalahari Kid Corporation www.kalaharikid.co.za Their agricultural officers do training on two “processes”: (i) Based on the Kalahari Kid Contract Grower’s Manual – Training provided by Kalahari Kid Agricultural Officers on a continuous basis. (ii) AgriSETA Goat Management Training Course (NQF 1, 10-months, provides the learner with a National Diploma in Agriculture (Goats Specialisation).
  • PCI Agricultural Services www.pciagri.co.za
  • Scientific Roots http://scientificroots.org
  • Umnga Farmers Training Group https://umnga.africa
  • University of Fort Hare Department of Livestock and Pasture www.ufh.ac.za
  • University of the Free State Department Animal, Wildlife and Grassland Sciences www.ufs.ac.za/animal
  • University of Limpopo Department of Agricultural Economics and Animal Production www.ul.ac.za
  • University of Pretoria (UP) Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences www.up.ac.za
  • UP Faculty of Veterinary Science Department of Production Animal Studies www.veterinary.up.ac.za
  • University of Venda Department of Animal Sciences www.univen.ac.za
  • University of Zululand Department of Agriculture www.uzulu.ac.za

 

Other role players

Websites and publications

 

Visit the websites listed earlier on this page e.g. www.boerboksa.co.za and www.boergoats.co.za.

 

Some articles

 

 

 

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