While lamb prices are in the doldrums as supply outstrips demand there is one meat which butchers can't get enough of. KATHRYN CROSS spoke to some Boer goat farmers to find out why their industry is on the rise.
Ten years ago there were about 50 members of the British Boer Goat Society. Now there are over 200.
Few, if any other, industries in the livestock sector can report such a growth in numbers but as goat meat is said to be the most consumed meat in the world it is easy to see why British farmers are slowly coming round to the idea of goat as a viable commercial product.
But it needs the British public to also change their perception of goat meat as something that could be a tasty and attractive alternative to the traditional Sunday roast leg of lamb or rib of beef.
It is somewhat of a conundrum for livestock farmers who might be thinking of diversifying. Yes, goat is making good money, but there is no regular market for it coupled with uncertainty about the public's tastes.
But without more commercial producers and better marketing, the public are unlikely to learn about its versatility, and demand that it be accessible on the weekly shop.
Tiff Hall, who farms at West Walton, near Wisbech, is in no doubt that goat meat is the future, and particularly the Boer goat which is bred for its meat rather than its milk.
'It is taking off but people still think it is only suitable for curries,' he said.
'It does get on TV cookery shows occasionally and I have seen people roasting it so I think it will become the fifth meat – it is just taking a long time to get the numbers up and get more people producing it.'
As a Boer goat farmer for the past 20 years and currently membership secretary for the society, Mr Hall has been there from the start and seen the popularity rise – but he wants to see even bigger leaps of faith over the next decade.
'We could do with more commercial people taking it on,' he said. 'It's a bit late for me as I am 73, but if I was a younger man I would do it.
'Yes there is a bit more to look after than sheep. They are quite hardy and can deal with a lot of weather but they do like some shelter if it is very wet and cold or they will lose condition quickly trying to keep warm. You can keep them on the Equator or the Arctic but you wouldn't want to suddenly move them between the two.
'They probably don't grow quite as fast as lambs but you are looking at a 40kg live carcase at six to eight months.
'The industry needs to change. You can't sell it in markets, it is all about small businesses and selling direct, but if I could produce 30 animals a week the butchers would take them. But I can't produce them all year round. It is too seasonal at the moment and a more commercial business could stagger their sales. There are only five or six in the country who can do this and you would need 100 to 150 to make that happen.'
But prices at point of sale are good with butchered-out meat selling at around £7 a kilo. And it is healthier than lamb or beef with less saturated fat. There is just one other stumbling block that this nation of animal lovers needs to overcome – the 'aaah' factor.
'For some reason people are happy to have lamb on their plates but when you say goat kid it is a different matter,' said Mr Hall. 'They need to remember that without the farmers and the end product there would be no lambs or kids around in the first place.'
Marilyn Leggett, secretary of the British Boer Goat Society, said: 'It is getting noticed, chefs are using it and introducing it to the British public. 'People had the idea that goat meat was just old dairy goats that you could only use in curry but Boer is a different meat because the animal is bred for the purpose - a bit like the difference between a dairy cow and a beef cow.
'You can cross a boer male with a dairy female as well and it works well.
'I would like to see more people coming in to the industry and see what the Boer has to offer. It is quite a hardy breed, very inquisitive but very laid back and calm and friendly. They are lovely animals.'
Are you working with an interesting breed of livestock? Contact kathryn.cross@archant.co.uk.
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