According to predictions made back in September, Thomas Foods International at Bourke, which received a $5 million grant for upgrade and expansion to its facility, will have processed around 3000 animals per day by last Christmas, the majority being goats.

This increase in production will help create jobs and provide a social and economic boost for the region.

Thomas Foods International’s National Smallstock Manager, Paul Leonard, said a move towards semi-managed goat enterprises in recent years will aid the consistent flow of livestock through the facility.

“There’s also been a big change in the industry with the increased on-farm management and also the investment in genetics, which has been a real game changer,” Mr Leonard said. “Back in the day, producers would put a couple of choppers up and get several thousand goats which would have to go straightaway."

“Now, producers have invested in infrastructure such as yards, holding paddocks and exclusion fencing that will enable them to provide a consistent supply and avoid that bottleneck of numbers.”

The NSW Government have been supportive of the industry, throwing $1.2 million into the Going ahead with Goats program - the aim being to modernise goat production in NSW and improve biosecurity outcomes by moving towards a more managed production system.

Australia is currently the largest exporter of goat meat in the world with exports generating $298 million in the last financial year, providing critical income for producers in Western NSW.

When it comes to logistics, the plant will look to source goats both via direct channels and a number of established goat depot operators to meet quotas.

“Our resident buyer Edward Johnson is based at Bourke and he will be dealing with clients who want to sell larger consignments on an over-the-hooks basis,” Mr Leonard said.

“Rob Newton, who’s very well known in the Bourke district, has been involved in procuring goats from a depot perspective for years and as well as supplying from his depot, Rob will also buy goats over-the-hooks for us as well.

“We have another goat depot operator at Broken Hill, Pat Cuffe, onboard to supply stock as well.”

Goatmeat processed by the facility will then be exported to a diverse range of markets thanks to the unique capabilities of the plant.

“The Bourke plant has the capacity to produce both skin-on or skin-off goatmeat – there are two skin on-chains in this facility as well as a skin-off chain,” Mr Leonard said.

“As many producers know, the US is the main export market for Australian goatmeat and it is a skin-off market. However, the good thing about having skin-on chains at this facility is that if there’s pressure on the US market or increased supply, we can pivot into some of those other skin-on markets such as southeast Asia.”