It seems everyone in the world eats goat meat but Americans. However, the preference for goat meat in the U.S. is rapidly increasing, as reflected in the record high prices in recent years.
"This increase in consumption is primarily related to a rapidly growing population from traditional goat consuming residents," said Dr. Jodie Pennington, small ruminant educator with Lincoln University Extension.
Presently, 16 percent of the U.S. population is Hispanic and 4 percent of the population is Asian. The Hispanic population in the U.S. has grown five-fold since 1970.
"The Hispanic population should provide a significant consumer base for goat meat products, particularly fresh goat meat served around festivals or significant occasions," Pennington said.
Hispanic Interest
Producers can expect the highest consumption periods of goat meat for Hispanics, especially Mexicans, to be around Christmas, New Years and Easter according to Pennington.
"With Cinco de Mayo being May 5, it also increases goat meat consumption by Mexicans during the period surrounding Easter," Pennington said.
For those celebrating the Western or traditional Easter, the ideal goat is a milk-fed kid weighing 30 pounds. For those celebrating the Eastern, Orthodox or Greek Easter (which generally coincides with, or follows, the Western Easter), a slightly larger, 35 pound milk-fed kid is preferred. However, larger goats are also acceptable but may sell for slightly less per pound.
"The Latino market prefers a suckling kid weighing 20-35 pounds with larger kids preferred for pit barbecuing," Pennington said.
Muslim Interest
The U.S. is also experiencing growth in religious groups that prefer goat meat, particularly those of the Muslim/Islam faith.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar which lasts for 29 or 30 days. Festival meals take place each night since no food is consumed between sunrise and sunset.
Male or female kids that are less than one year old and weigh 60 pounds are desired, but weaned kids between 45-120 pounds may be acceptable. For the past few years, Ramadan has coincided with July-October, the months when most kids are weaned and sold and the price was the lowest of the year.
Traditionally, this also is the time when prices fall due to seasonal weaning and increases in numbers sold. However, for the next few years, Ramadan will be earlier in the calendar year, from June 18 to July 17 in 2015 and moving 11 days earlier each year.
"Muslim holidays are based on the lunar calendar which is 11 days less than our traditional solar calendar," Pennington said. "How the movement of Ramadan toward summer and spring months will affect fall goat prices remains to be seen. So far it seems to decrease prices as expected but the prices bounce back quickly."
Seasons Impact
"Goats tend to be seasonal breeders, coming into heat as daylight shortens from late August to early January," Pennington said. "Most kids are born in late winter to early spring and weaned in the late summer or fall. This creates a market kid shortage during the late winter and early spring months, and over-supplies the market during late summer and fall."
Easter (the Western or traditional Easter) has the strongest goat meat demand in the U.S. Pennington says market kid and goat meat prices tend to reach their peak just before the Western Easter (March-April), drop significantly during June, continue trending downward through October-November, then begin rising toward the Christmas season (December). Other holidays such as the fourth of July also seem to increase prices temporarily but not as much as Christmas and New Year's Day. Presently, prices have been very high in the northeast.
Fresh goat meat shortages force the prices to continue upward until they peak again during the Easter season (March-April).
"How the changing dates of Ramadan and the increased demand for goat meat will affect the best times to market goats remains to be determined," Pennington said. "Yet, producers should plan their marketing strategies around the traditional ethnic holidays-which means marketing two to four weeks before those holidays."
For more information, contact Pennington at the Newton County Extension Center at 417-455-9500, or by e-mail at [email protected].
General News on 10/22/2014