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Let them eat goat: Gov't to boost local production with dog meat ban

Published: 25 Feb. 2026, 13:50 Updated: 25 Feb. 2026, 17:33

Goats are gathered in a farm in Korea on Feb. 24 . [MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS]

A government push to boost domestic goat meat production is underway as consumption surges following the ban on dog meat, with an aim to build a stable production and distribution system by 2029.

The shift comes in the wake of a ban on breeding, slaughtering and selling dog meat for human consumption that passed on Jan. 9, 2024, with a full ban set to take effect in February 2027. The move reflected shifting social attitudes that increasingly view dogs as pets, growing public pressure over animal cruelty and efforts to improve the country’s international image.

“Demand for goat meat has risen rapidly, but domestic farm prices are falling as imports of cheaper foreign products increase,” the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said Tuesday. “We will establish a production and distribution foundation for goat meat by 2029 through breed improvement, livestock farm registration and the introduction of an identification and tracing system."

The initiative aims to strategically foster “Korean goat” branding similar to Korean pork and hanwoo, Korean beef.

Goat meat consumption reached 13,710 tons in 2024, double the 6,330 tons recorded in 2020. Imports from Australia and New Zealand surged from 1,160 tons to 8,143 tons, a 600 percent increase, while domestic production remained between 4,700 tons and 5,500 tons over the past five years. The rise in imports has lowered Korea's self-sufficiency rate, which stood at 40.6 percent in 2024, down from 45.4 percent in 2023.

The ministry plans to develop new goat breeds to increase the average shipping weight from 50 kilograms (110 pounds) to 55 kilograms and shorten the shipping period from a range of 13 to 15 months to 12 months. The goal is to combine native breeds and Boer goats to produce animals with higher meat yields. Native Black Goats will be recognized as indigenous livestock to protect genetic resources.

Goats are huddled together at a farm in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang, on March 4, 2023. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Producer associations will see their roles expanded, while customized feed management technologies and standardized livestock housing facilities will be developed. Government measures are also being prepared to encourage more farms to officially register their livestock operations.

To curb false country-of-origin labeling on imported goat meat, authorities will strengthen online monitoring and on-site inspections while developing scientific methods to verify product origins. The government will also conduct a feasibility study on the introduction of a tracing system.

Regional goat-only slaughterhouses will be supported, and standardized process manuals will be created to improve quality control at the slaughter and processing stages. Crackdowns on illegal slaughtering will be intensified. Goat auctions at livestock markets will be expanded, and price information will be provided online to promote a more transparent trading environment.

Goats are gathered at the farm in Suncheon, South Jeolla, on Oct. 21, 2019. [JOONGANG ILBO]

“We will systematically foster the goat industry to improve farm productivity and stabilize incomes while supplying safe and high-quality goat meat,” Lee Jae-sik, the Director General for Livestock Policy Bureau at the ministry, stated.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM KYUNG-HEE [[email protected]]