Sheep and Goat Exports
Australia has a national herd of approximately 70 million sheep and is the largest exporter of sheep and goat meat in the world. Australia exports high quality breeding sheep and goats to many countries all over the world due to the strong levels of demand, as well as our disease-free status and competitive prices.
There are many different breeds of sheep in Australia for both wool and meat production. The more popular meat producing breeds that do not produce wool, and are therefore more suitable for hotter climates are the Dorper, White Dorper, Damara, Awassi, Australian White, Persian sheep and Van Rooy.
Other breeds that have excellent meat production, but also produce wool are the Dorsett, Border Leicester, Suffolk and Texel. The most common breed in Australia- highly prized for its fine wool production is the Merino.
The Australian meat goat industry is largely comprised of two main breeds; the Boer and the Australian rangeland goat.
The Boer goat originated from South Africa, and was imported to Australia because of its superior carcass quality and growth rates. A typical Boer has a red head and a white body, though less pure animals have more variation in colour. Boer goats are in strong demand and at times are limited supply, so please contact ABL Exports to discuss your requirements.
The majority of the Australian goat herd is made up of the Australia rangeland (or feral) goat. Not an actual breed, but a mix of many different breeds, it is an animal that has been able to develop in the wild in Australia’s outback over nearly 200 years. Consequently, it is a very hardy and fertile goat. It is commonly exported for meat purposes to Malaysia.
