Pasture-raised geese farmers are well prepared for their martini

There are currently 65,000 geese grazing on pastures in Upper Austria, a similar number to last year. This means that the supply of domestic geese can be kept stable at about 30 percent.

The highlight of the Jansel season, St. Martin's Day on November 11, is right around the corner. Local goose farmers are well prepared for this, reports the Chamber of Agriculture of Upper Austria (LK OÖ).

Depending on the region, traditional geese fresh from the farm will be sold to consumers this year for around 13 to 16 euros per kilogram. Prices for organic geese are a few euros higher. Compared to the previous year, prices saw no significant increase, according to a survey among various marketers.

“Many farms, especially small farms with a high proportion of grassland, are often looking for production alternatives in which they can continue to use old buildings and recycle grassland. For them, pasture goose farming is a good alternative, as it is still… There is room for improvement in Austria when it comes to self-sufficiency. “A prerequisite for this is direct marketing of the geese,” says Franz Waldenberger, head of LK Upper Austria.

Through its 250 member companies, Österreichische Weidegans (ÖWG) has set the goal of achieving all value added in Austria. “Our member companies are small in size and keep on average about 200 geese,” explains Heidi Heibsberger, Chair of the Austrian Willow Goose Action Group.