Goat fibre is now poised to enter the Australian agricultural landscape, which sheep, cattle, and grain heavily dominate. With that, AgriFutures Australia is launching the Future Fibre Farming program.
Future Fibre Farming plans to invest in research extension to expand the Australian goat fibre industry, which comprises mohair and cashmere sub-industries, and encourage new producers to scale their production and expand the global supply.
Dr Mark Ferguson, a goat breeding expert, will lead the team with Principal Investigator Georgia Buchholz and neXtgen Agri International staff.
neXtgen Agri is perfectly positioned to partner with AgriFutures and utilise the developing prospects in the growing goat fibre business, with 14 dedicated team members, five based in Australia and the remainder in New Zealand.
The AgriFutures Goat Fibre Program Strategic RD&E Plan (2021-2026) highlights the limited data available to validate the scale of Australian cashmere and mohair production.
Dr Ferguson said the industry is currently comprised of many small enterprises, with the vision to transition the landscape and make the goat fibre industry a viable alternative to sheep and beef.
The project plans to conduct an industry survey, establish an online knowledge-sharing portal, and launch a podcast to support industry growth.
“The goal is to bridge the information gap by creating a central online hub, ‘The Goat Fibre Gateway’, where people can go to access both the economic and on-farm aspects of goat farming, upcoming events, and a resource library including fact sheets and case studies,” Dr Ferguson stated.
The Fibre Frontier podcast is a platform that connects various stakeholders, including growers, researchers, fibre buyers, processors, veterinarians, and international guests, to discuss and share yarns.
Dr Ferguson hopes enhanced information flow and better awareness will lead to industry growth, which is the program’s primary objective.
“Towards the end of 2024 we will be looking to hold on-farm events and building case studies that will really help to change perceptions in a more specific, targeted way,” he said.
He explained that field days would provide expert advice for goat industry service providers, demonstrating various handling processes for shearers to enhance their goat handling skills.
“Most importantly, through these on-farm events we want to get rid of the ‘hobby’ stereotype that currently marks the industry and make sure that people are aware that the goat fibre industry is actually a viable alternative to sheep and cattle,” he added.
“We’re in the end stages of working out what will resonate most with growers, but taking what we know from the sheep and beef industries and applying it to goats will inevitably shift the industry towards a more commercial focus.”
According to Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), Australian goat fibre is a top-tier and expensive material for producing high-quality clothing and furniture fabrics worldwide.
A 2020 SWOT analysis of the cashmere and mohair industries, based on the AgriFutures Goat Fibre Program RD&E Plan, identified existing strengths and new opportunities for this fast-fashion fibre.
The analysis suggests that cashmere is well-suited for the Australian climate, and post-COVID-19 consumer preferences could open new opportunities. Elevated goat fibre prices could transform meat goat producers into cashmere producers.
On the other hand, the mohair industry is a strong contender with a clean, green, and sustainable image, offering proven profitability opportunities compared to wool.
The Mohair industry can transition into a commercially viable platform by strategically capitalising on emerging market opportunities and investing in marketing and extension efforts.
“The current global supply of goat fibre is not enough to meet the growing demand,” Dr Ferguson said.
With a $500,000 budget and timeline from November 2023 to September 2026, the Future Fibre Farming program aims to revolutionise the Australian goat fibre industry by leveraging global demand and transforming the production landscape.
