The national project is led by NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) in collaboration with Charles Sturt University (CSU) through the Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation.

NSW DPI livestock research officer, Gordon Refshauge, said the project will investigate factors influencing kid survival and causes of kid loss in local goatmeat production systems.

“Addressing this knowledge gap has the potential to substantially improve kid survival rates,” Dr Refshauge said. 

“Managed and semi-managed rangeland systems, commercial enterprises in mixed farming and higher rainfall zones and goat studs breeding animals for meat production will be targeted to help quantify the scale and cost the impact of reproductive loss.” 

We expect to uncover variation within those production systems given the diverse geographical spread of the Australian goat industry.”

Input from producers is critical to ensuring results can be applied on-farm to improve the national goatmeat supply and researchers will seek their assistance when the project begins next year. Producers will have the opportunity to work with leading researchers and specialists in animal reproduction, nutrition, maternal efficiency, herd health and veterinary epidemiology.

Acting Graham Centre director and CSU associate professor, Marta Hernandez-Jover, said CSU students will contribute to research efforts which contribute to building capacity within the goat industry.