A review of goat production in New Zealand: In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Diploma in Farm Management

Abstract

This paper is concerned with the review of goat production in New Zealand for meat, milk and mohair both for export and internal uses. The reason for the study of Goat Production in New Zealand is to define the various production methods and potentials and to examine these for relevance to Fiji. In the recent years, the New Zealand farmer's attitude towards goats has taken a dramatic change from a destructive pest to a economically viable farm animal. This is evident in the establishment of a number of commercial goat farms in the Northland district and around Auckland area in the North Island and in Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury districts in the South Island, a major proportion of these being goat milk producing farms. A further factor is that the New Zealand farmer has knowledge and expertise in sheep management which could be a useful tool in goat management as these two animals are almost identical species and their management practices could be supplementary to each other. Fiji has large areas of Class III and Class IV land, well suited to the raising of goats . In most of these places livestock keeping, especially goat keeping has a clear economic advantage over cropping. Until the end of 1975 the goat industry had received only little official encouragement in comparison with other industries. The increasing imports of goat meat and mutton focused attention on the economic possibilities of expansion in the goat meat sector. This study of New Zealand goat production will provide useful techniques for goat breeding and management for Fiji to be adapted to the local conditions to ensure maximum efficiency in developing goat industry.