In a province where beef is often the meat on everyone’s tongues, goats are making uncharacteristically silent moves.
“There’s great opportunities, but there’s a ton of challenges, too,” Stuart Chutter said via a crackling cellphone connection as he tended to his 500-goat flock near Gull Lake.
Saskatchewan is one of Canada’s smaller producers of goats, focusing, like most western provinces, on meat production. The 2011 agriculture census recorded that 460 farms in Saskatchewan were home to 10,480 goats, but industry experts say that estimate is too low.
Even if the number is much higher, Saskatchewan farmers are nowhere near meeting the local demand for goat meat. Producers say demand — and prices along with it — are on the rise. (This despite national statistics showing a decrease in slaughter numbers so far this year over last.)
Goat meat is one of the most popular red meats globally and it would seem as the world comes to Canada through immigration, butcher requests are reflecting that demographic change. Alison Halvorson, who raises goats east of Wadena in Kuroki, said her phone has been buzzing with calls from newcomers living in Regina.
But it’s not just immigrant demand that is outstripping supply in Saskatchewan. Producers say requests for goat meat have been consistently strong for a few years and show no signs of abating.
“At this point in time, all I have to do is make one phone call and my animals are sold,” said Kelly Sawyer, who has a flock near Langbank in the province’s southeast.
Health consciousness is contributing to the trend, she and other producers agreed, as goat meat is low in cholesterol and saturated fat.
Plus, there’s simply more awareness about goat as a red meat option and one that can be purchased in Saskatchewan, said Lee Sexton, a producer from Hanley.
The price of goat meat is nothing to scoff at either. Kim Mason, who started goat farming a year ago near Swift Current, said the biz has now become viable and profitable.
Goat prices are influenced by certain holidays, like Ramadan and Eid, which increase demand for the meat.
Averaging about $2 to $2.50 per pound over the past few years, goat meat prices have almost doubled as of late, said Brock goat producer Corbin St. John.
“That’s what they should be,” he said.
Long in the shadow of Saskatchewan’s other livestock industries, interest in goats is growing more than at people’s dinner tables.
St. John pointed to some major recent investments in goat production, such as a Hutterite colony running a 1,500-large flock and a feedlot that can serve 10,000 goats. Goats are becoming more popular on acreages, too.
They’re also attracting attention for their non-tasty contributions, namely running them with other livestock as a way to naturally tackle unwanted pasture plants.
Even with this interest, though, St. John said “we still couldn’t reach demand. It’s just impossible.”
Just because it might seem like an optimal time to get into the goat meat world, it’s not the easiest livestock industry to be involved in, say producers.
“It’s not an industry that Canadians are experts at producing,” said Chutter.
He called the goat industry a niche market, one that is little developed and lacks infrastructure or production knowledge compared with other livestock areas. He added that it’s difficult to access capital for goat farming.
Source : Leaderpost