20 YEARS OF ADVANCES
in Australian Alpaca Industry
With its 21st birthday behind it in 2009, the alpaca industry is keen to continue its advance on Australian agriculture.
The Australian Alpaca Association (AAA) has been there since the beginning of this phase of alpacas in Australia.
While Australia flirted with alpacas in the 1800s it has been the last 20 years that has seen Australia become a world leader in the alpaca industry.
Alpacas are farmed for their fleece – a product used in the luxury end of the high fashion market competing with cashmere and superfine wool. The key benefits of alpaca fleece are handle and lustre with alpaca having a soft silky handle and being ideal for woven garments that are worn next to the skin – like scarves, tops and pullovers.
Alpacas are an exciting niche market – after all with only 4 million alpacas worldwide it is difficult to be anything but. There are also niches within niches – for instance studs specialising in a particular colour or the suri type of alpaca. This is where the benefits of small farming comes to the fore – a stud with a relative small number of animals can be cutting edge in their breeding program and a leader in their niche.
Australia was lucky to pioneer exporting alpacas in the 1980s with some of the first shipments coming to Australia and New Zealand. Since this time alpaca industries have commenced in South Africa, Canada, the UK and Europe – with Australian alpacas exported to all of these locations.
But what makes Australian alpacas so desirable? The bulk of the Australian herd traces its roots to Peru and Chile (and to a lesser extent the USA), but alpaca farming in these South American countries is still largely in the hands of tenant farmers. It is estimated that the largest studs, using modern breeding programs, control only 20% of the national herd in these countries. In Australia 200 years of animal breeding technology has been applied to develop the national herd.
Australia has pioneered the commercialisation of alpacas. The continued improvement of the Australian alpaca herd is also something to look forward to. Ian Davison said the AAA Board is upbeat and “officially recognised the critical importance of genetic improvement to the Australian herd, and the challenge of remaining at the forefront of the international industry”. The Association’s continued support of the AGE program, the IAR data base and showing is a testament to the desire to keep Australian Alpacas at the head of the pack (or herd).
More information on the AAA can be found at www.alpaca.asn.au where a free information pack can also be requested.
While Australia flirted with alpacas in the 1800s it has been the last 20 years that has seen Australia become a world leader in the alpaca industry.
Alpacas are farmed for their fleece – a product used in the luxury end of the high fashion market competing with cashmere and superfine wool. The key benefits of alpaca fleece are handle and lustre with alpaca having a soft silky handle and being ideal for woven garments that are worn next to the skin – like scarves, tops and pullovers.
Alpacas are an exciting niche market – after all with only 4 million alpacas worldwide it is difficult to be anything but. There are also niches within niches – for instance studs specialising in a particular colour or the suri type of alpaca. This is where the benefits of small farming comes to the fore – a stud with a relative small number of animals can be cutting edge in their breeding program and a leader in their niche.
Australia was lucky to pioneer exporting alpacas in the 1980s with some of the first shipments coming to Australia and New Zealand. Since this time alpaca industries have commenced in South Africa, Canada, the UK and Europe – with Australian alpacas exported to all of these locations.
But what makes Australian alpacas so desirable? The bulk of the Australian herd traces its roots to Peru and Chile (and to a lesser extent the USA), but alpaca farming in these South American countries is still largely in the hands of tenant farmers. It is estimated that the largest studs, using modern breeding programs, control only 20% of the national herd in these countries. In Australia 200 years of animal breeding technology has been applied to develop the national herd.
Australia has pioneered the commercialisation of alpacas. The continued improvement of the Australian alpaca herd is also something to look forward to. Ian Davison said the AAA Board is upbeat and “officially recognised the critical importance of genetic improvement to the Australian herd, and the challenge of remaining at the forefront of the international industry”. The Association’s continued support of the AGE program, the IAR data base and showing is a testament to the desire to keep Australian Alpacas at the head of the pack (or herd).
More information on the AAA can be found at www.alpaca.asn.au where a free information pack can also be requested.
