Good food is an essential part of living a healthy life. Recently, black goat, the king of black foods, has been in the spotlight. “Black goat meat has been recognized for its health benefits since ancient times. It is more than twice the amount of iron and zinc as beef, and it contains a high amount (40.2-45%) of oleic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid. Oleic acid has the ability to keep blood cholesterol in check by raising good high-density lipoprotein (HDL).” says Korea Black Goat Association Goseong Head Kim Meong-sae. Black goats have been raised mainly for grazing, but since the 90s, they have been transitioning to a domesticated form and are growing in scale.

“Black goats are prohibited from being raised within a 500-meter radius of civilian homes. Compared to cows and pigs, black goats produce less manure and do not produce odors, so they do not have a significant impact on the rural environment. They are disease-resistant and can be raised without worry, so I think it is unreasonable that they are banned within a 500-meter radius. There are not many slaughterhouses, so the unit price per kg is high because it takes more than 400 kilometers round trip from eastern regions such as Gimhae and Yangsan to Hamyang to slaughter one black goat. There are more than 47,000 black goats in Gyeongnam, so there should be at least one auction house and slaughterhouse per region. Especially in Goseong-gun, there are existing livestock slaughterhouses, so the black goat industry should be revitalized by utilizing existing resources. Currently, the price of a black goat is around 19,000 won per kg for a castrated male and 18,000 won for a female, which is close to 20,000 won. It is generally believed that the fair price of black goats is proportional to the price of cattle feed, so the overall market price is high given that the current price of cattle feed is 13,000 to 14,000 won per bag. The legalization of existing unlicensed livestock farms should be promoted as soon as possible.”

Profitable black goat

It is necessary to invest heavily in building infrastructure to foster the black goat industry, including breeding, specification management, development of specialized feed and veterinary drugs, disease diagnosis and treatment, and slaughter and transportation. In addition, it is necessary to develop a variety of cooking methods that can be enjoyed by all ages. In addition to developing new menus that are not limited to hotpot, soup, grilled, and other dishes, the problem of selling imported meat as domestic meat must be solved. “The biggest challenge for the black goat industry is distribution and quality breeding. In Korea, where 70% of the country’s land is mountainous, black goats are the most suitable livestock. The government has been working closely with the Black Goat Association since announcing the plan to foster mountain livestock. Black goats do not have to worry about environmental pollution caused by odor or manure when raised in the mountains.”