There is an unfilled market for Texas goat meat.
Internal demand is also on the rise, according to producers, as Hispanic populations increase.
Viable goat production must be pasture-based. Meat goats are raised almost exclusively on poorer soils, range, or small holdings. The forage germplasm, especially native or naturalized, has been collected but needs to be tested for agronomic adaptation and nutritional quality. Goat producers across Texas are willing to participate in trials to test these forages and supplements both on-station and in their own fields. What they need is the plot, paddock, and laboratory data to assist them in taking the first steps to improved nutrition of their flocks.