Meat and Livestock Australia

Rangeland goat production inWestern NSW: Where are they now? 11 Producer skills and development In line with the large amount of work done in the research and development space, there has also been extension programs and tools developed for the goat industry. The MLA Going into Goats program has been established for some time (MLA GiG, 2006). The associated best practice guide is a valuable resource for producers. More recently, an additional module was added which is specific to rangeland goat enterprises. This not only adds value to the document for rangeland producers, but acknowledges the importance of rangeland goat enterprises in creating a more robust industry (MLA GiG, 2018). KIDPLAN is another decision support tool available to goat producers, however few actively contribute data. In 2014, associated communication material and relevant modules in the Going into Goats program were reviewed to ensure accuracy and relevance (Puxty et al, 2014). Regarding collaboration between industry and government bodies, many of the projects outlined throughout this section have involved input from both parties. A position paper on the goat industry was also recently published by NSW DPI. This outlines the commitment of government in supporting the development of the goat industry and the substantial opportunities for collaboration (DPI, March 2018). Meat and Livestock Australia has recently developed a number of extension programs under the Profitable Grazing Systems Program (MLA PGS, 2018). This has the capacity to include goat specific programs if sufficient demand exists. A National Goat Roadshow will be delivered to present information relevant to the goat industry and gauge interest for goat specific supported learning programs. In terms of attracting young people to the industry, there has recently been a push by both government agencies and industry groups to promote and facilitate the movement of young people into agriculture. An example of this is the Young Farmer Business Program, a joint initiative between NSW Farmers Association, NSW Young Farmers Council and NSW DPI. After an initial 12 month pilot program, the NSW government committed funding for an additional four years (DPI YFBP, 2018). However this program is not specific to goats. Anecdotally, young people considering entry into agriculture want to make data driven decisions that result in a profitable business. Therefore, industry tools and case studies that allow producers to make more objective decisions and present the opportunities of the goat industry are very beneficial.