[Alpacasite] Re: Re: Llama in car...

Kathryn Coursey wrote:

<<MAJOR differences in how the llama industry and the
alpaca
Industry are organized and run..... Makes for a HUGE
difference in How the pricing changes over time. Has
proven to be so far and
Looks to be in future a very SLOW and acceptable price
drop in
SOME alpacas as we become better able to distinguish
desirability
And are better able to breed FOR those traits. >>

The alpaca industry seems to be where the llama
industry was about 15 years ago. At that time, llama
owners were breeding all females, prices were
sky-high, and new owners were investing in droves. I
agree that the alpaca industry has done a magnificent
job in promoting alpacas as an investment, but it
relies on breeders selling to other breeders, and most
particularly to new breeders. It's the new breeders
who have to figure out how to establish their
reputations and sell to more new breeders. Many will
not be able to compete, because they started with the
[affordable] animals with the least desirable traits
as their entry animals. Like llamas, alpacas have one
cria a year, and eventually supply will begin to
exceed demand. I know this is already happening in
some parts of the country.

My question is, where is the value-added with alpacas?
They were developed specifically for fiber
production, but realistically, you cannot make back
the cost of your animal and feeding it by selling its
fleece. Australia is aiming for a national herd of
consistent high quality alpacas, preferably white,
that cost $50 each. That is what an alpaca FIBER
industry should look like.

The US alpaca industry may be able to stave off
falling prices for a while longer by not allowing
imports, but then you end up with a genetic bottleneck
which results in an increased rate of birth defects,
as well as other undesirable traits (due to breeding
ALL fertile females) such as poor milk production,
conformation problems, and temperament issues.

Also, I can't help but notice how the alpaca industry
is really milking its members. Prices for anything to
do with alpacas are significantly higher than the same
things for llamas (organizational memberships, show
entry fees, etc). There is no reason for this except
that alpaca owners look like cash cows and aren't
willing to push back for lower costs. For this
reason, I won't join AOBA and won't pay the non-member
fees to show my non-breeder alpacas at shows like the
North American, where the ALSA- and AOBA-sanctioned
shows are held simultaneously. I will show my alpacas
in performance classes and alpaca halter classes at
ALSA shows. For fun.

15 years passes fast. My 0.02 worth.

Susan Gawarecki
Pathfinder Farm
Andersonville, TN

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