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New deal for Peru's alpaqueros? An interesting story about Peru’s system of buying fleece that has lead to a decline in quality of Peruvian Alpaca Fleece. |
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The Real Magic In Alpaca |
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By Julie McClen of Oak Grove Alpacas - Article originally written for the ‘National Alpaca Fibre Seminar’, Ballarat 2007 When I first discovered alpacas, I didn’t start out wanting to breed the best fibre in the world. Like the majority of alpaca breeders my imagination and my heart were firstly captured by these totally beguiling animals. We all know there is something about alpacas that appeals to us on a deeper level than most other livestock. At times the alpaca seems surreal, almost like an incarnation of something mythological. Maybe it can be attributed to the romance of their coming from a strange and distant country, that echoes with the memory of the ancient Inca and their passion for the alpaca. Or maybe it’s their absence from the everyday animals of our childhoods that sets them apart? We admire their stoic approach to illness and enjoy their ridiculous posturing at meal times. It is their unwavering ability to work together in times of danger, the pouting lip when things don’t go their way, or the mad dash around the paddock looking for a baby that has slipped out of sight that personifies them in our minds. It is these qualities that we can’t quantify that appear to be the essence or ’magic’ of alpaca. But I believe that their true magic is in plain sight, easily accessible & easily able to be quantified, it is their wonderful fleece. So if for a moment we set aside our emotional connections for owning alpacas and take a logical stance, it would be fair to say that the mystique of the alpaca has somehow managed to sustain our industry thus far. However, we cannot continue to depend on the alpacas appeal to supply an ever decreasing market for wether ‘lawn mowers’, or to continue to expect high prices for show winning animals, whose abilities to meet the markets demand for truly fine fibre is at times questionable. Recent declines in prices paid for alpacas, especially those with less desirable fleece qualities, have set alarm bells ringing among many breeders. Many of which are now seriously looking to the commercial future of alpaca fibre to carry our industry forward and to produce financially viable fibre in quantities able to make a real return for the producer. We have at our disposal, objective scientific methods for truly measuring the ‘magic’ in alpaca fibre. It is important to set aside our preferences and prejudices for certain alpacas and traits, and to logically assess their qualities based on measurable and desirable market driven standards. Qualities that the market determines are those that will produce the highest return. It is within our grasp to breed an alpaca designed to not only meet but exceed the expectations of the global fibre market. Alpaca farmers of the future will be seeking stock that can sustain an ultrafine to superfine fleece which will give them a profitable return for up to a decade, not just a year or two. It is those alpacas exhibiting an ability to maintain an even, very fine fleece well into maturity, that is neither over long or too short & that exhibits definition of crimp & structure that will be in demand. By utilising our knowledge of genetics and by taking advantage of simple an inexpensive methods available to measure our progress, we can make huge advancements in refining our alpacas to become market driven producers of highly desirable and financially rewarding ultrafine fibre. It is in itself a rewarding experience when factual, modern and objective breeding methods can be the catalyst for a totally immeasurable passion for this ’fibre of the gods’. I hope that all breeders find within themselves the ’spark’ to ignite a desire to commit to taking up the essential challenge of working to meet the market demand. The future for alpaca fibre can be more ’magical’ than we ever dreamed possible!
Julie McClen is a partner in Oak Grove Alpacas who were cofounders of the Alpaca Ultimate Group that organised the ‘National Alpaca Fibre Seminars’ in 2006/07 and created the record breaking Ultrafine Bale Scheme which secured $60 a kilo for ultrafine fibre. Julie has also created this alpaca fibre link website to bring together all members of the alpaca community in a central meeting place for the promotion and advancement of Australian alpaca fibre. |
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Research into ancient alpaca Dr Jane Wheelers research into pre conquest Peruvian alpacas & their fleece traits. Very interesting reading.
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