News: Media Kits: Georgia Agricultural Resources

Goats

Goats were among the first animals domesticated by humans. Worldwide, more people eat goat meat and dairy products than the meat and dairy products of any other animal. Goats have proven to be an enduring source of tasty, low-fat meat and high calorie milk for people in some of the globe's harshest climates. However, in the United States goat consumption is just beginning to take off.

Experts estimate that there are nearly two million goats in the U.S. today. They fall into three categories meat, dairy and angora. The largest segment of goat production in the U.S. is the meat goat segment.

There are an estimated one million meat goats in the U.S. Most of them live in Texas, but Georgia is estimated to have the second largest population of meat goats in the nation and the largest goat population east of the Mississippi River.

According to the 1997 USDA agricultural census there were between 38,000 and 40,000 meat goats in Georgia. That number has undoubtedly gone up in the years since the survey.

The growing Chicano and Latino populations in the South Eastern United States and in Texas have brought with them a historical preference for goat meat, also known as Chevon. And this cultural preference has turned into to big business for those producers who can meet this steadily increasing demand for goat products.

In a recent survey, Texas retailers said they could sell 4.8 million goat carcasses a year if they could be supplied. It is thought that demand along parts of the eastern seaboard could be comparatively high.

 

More Information

• Georgia Meat Goat Association
  Ginny Skinner, president
  1131 Treadwell Bridge Road, Statham GA 30666
  E-mail: GaMeatGoats@juno.com
• Fort Valley State University
  • Meat Goats
  • Dairy Goats
  • Goat Research Complex
    Will R. Getz, 478/825-6955
• American Meat Goat Association
  Marvin Shurley, president
  Phone: 915/387-6100

 

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