Richard,
a cursory look at the US marino sheep world will show you a large
group of very successful individual sheep ranches that each have
found their own niche. While on a wholesale level wool is nearly
worthless these ranchers sell their product at a profitable price and
they sell it before shearing day. One such ranch is just down the road
from me.
The current US alpaca market has been built on a breeders model
as there weren't enough alpacas to supply any level of "fleece market".
We are in the process of transitioning to multiple levels and
models. This is simply reality.
My question to you at this point is are you here to help or are you
simply interested in nay saying? There are successful models to
follow. Thus far many alpaca breeders have simply been waiting for
someone else to make it happen. It's time to do it for ourselves.
Blue Skies
Jennifer Powers
Aero Ranch Suri Alpacas
--- On Thu, 11/20/08, suekodu <humhojl120@hotmail.com> wrote:
From: suekodu <humhojl120@hotmail.com>
Subject: [AlpacaTalk] Re: Sent to Alpaca site...held, not posted by site...
To: AlpacaTalk@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, November 20, 2008, 11:49 AM
--- In AlpacaTalk@yahoogro ups.com, Jennifer J Powers <jpowers@... >
wrote:
>
> Richard,
> my point and what Blue Sky Yarns supports in my point is that the
cottage industry will support a profitable price point. We need to
build our own individual niches. And or support those working to
carve out such a niche. Stop looking to a large scale wholesale
outlet. Something that has proven time after time to be unsuccessful.
>
> Blue Skies
> Jennifer Powers
> Aero Ranch Suri Alpacas
> Browns Valley CA
What modern Western agricultural industry requires every farmer to
find their own niche/cottage outlets, because there isn't a viable
wholesale market?
And if there were such a huge cottage industry demand, how come it
doesn't command a sufficient price for the yarn (let alone the raw
fleece) to make keeping alpacas profitable?
Blue Sky Yarns aren't supporting US alpaca fiber, at a profitable
price point or otherwise, since they source from South America. There
is plenty of world supply of alpaca fiber for home craft outlets, but
it's largely from countries where alpaca keepers are living in
extreme poverty, reportedly on something like $345 to $800 per year –
the asking price for a single gelding in the US.
The figures I gave earlier show that the income, after processing
costs, for US producers selling alpaca yarn to local outlets gives
an insufficient return (I estimated $120/head ) to cover the cost of
keeping the alpacas.
It's not just me - in July 2008 a producer on AlpacaSite reported
that through arranging processing and retailing and selling yarn at
$6oz ($96/lb) he only achieves $50 to $150 per animal after direct
fiber-related expenses, insufficient to cover annual husbandry
expenses.
Another example on the NAAFP website suggests about $160/head
returns after processing (at the 10 to 15 alpaca level averaged over
2 years). Again that would be insufficient to cover animal expenses.
Richard
Maidstone Kent
UK
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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