Alpacas make a fashion statement.When the Canadian Natural Fibre Fair takes place October 16 and 17 in Lloydminster, Saskatchewan's burgeoning alpaca alpaca (ălpăk`ə), partially domesticated South American mammal, Lama pacos, of the camel family. Genetic studies show that it is a descendant of the vicuña. industry will be well represented. The number of alpaca owners who particiapate in the fair's trade show, fashion show, workshops and demonstrations is growing. The appeal could be a growing market for wool that is six times warmer than sheep's wool, or the prestige of a product that rivals cashmere cashmere Animal-hair fibre forming the downy undercoat of the Kashmir goat. The fibre became known for its use in beautiful shawls and other handmade items produced in Kashmir, India. The fibres have diameters finer than those of the best wools. , or simply working with the animals themselves. Alpacas are the oldest domesticated do·mes·ti·cate tr.v. do·mes·ti·cat·ed, do·mes·ti·cat·ing, do·mes·ti·cates 1. To cause to feel comfortable at home; make domestic. 2. To adopt or make fit for domestic use or life. 3. a. animal selectively bred for quality fibre. Their longevity (20 to 25 years) has been attributed to their hardy resistance to disease. Alpaca Expressions of Canada, located in Herbert, Saskatchewan Herbert is a town of 742, located in southwest Saskatchewan, just east of Swift Current on the Trans-Canada Highway. Demographics According to the Canada 2006 Census: The Gossweilers started their alpaca venture with two females and their offspring. The herd is named Swiss Line Alpacas because Max and Hedi immigrated from Switzerland in 1981. Although they sell alpacas as breeding stock and pets, the real opportunity for growth is in wool products for the end user. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Currently, most products are imported from Peru and Columbia, but the Gossweilers believe there is a market for Canadian-made products because of our country's reputation for quality. Alpaca is considered to be a relatively rare specialty fibre. Approximately 4,000 tons of fibre are produced each year worldwide compared to 5,000 tons of cashmere, and 8,500 tons of angora rabbit. Less than one per cent of the alpaca fibre produced comes from North America North America, third largest continent (1990 est. pop. 365,000,000), c.9,400,000 sq mi (24,346,000 sq km), the northern of the two continents of the Western Hemisphere. indicating plenty of opportunity for a thriving cottage industry cottage industry: see sweating system. . The Gossweilers created Alpaca Expressions to sell high-end products designed by Hedi, a fashion designer by trade. The fibre has a reputation for being as soft as cashmere and as smooth as silk. It has hypoallergenic hy·po·al·ler·gen·ic adj. Having a decreased tendency to provoke an allergic reaction. hypoallergenic (hī´pōal´urjen´ik), adj qualities because it lacks natural oils. Instead, alpaca contains a natural resin Noun 1. natural resin - a plant exudate sandarach, sandarac - a brittle and faintly aromatic translucent resin used in varnishes guaiacum - medicinal resin from the lignum vitae tree which protects the wool from aging and getting dirty. Alpaca fibre is being marketed along the same lines as cashmere. With enough interest in their products, the Gossweilers decided to enter the industry in a big way in 1999 by purchasing 272 kilos of fibre from an Alberta producer. Hedi created a variety of products and they developed a display booth to showcase them at art shows such as Wintergreen wintergreen or checkerberry, low evergreen plant (Gaultheria procumbens) of the family Ericaceae (heath family), native to sandy and acid woods (usually of evergreens) of E North America and frequently cultivated. and Bazaart. "We had to test the market as we went along," explains Hedi. "People weren't sure of the alpaca quality so we had to educate people about alpacas." In 2001 they developed a website, attracting clients from as far away as Australia. Socks are their most popular item, although sweaters are the most lucrative. They are also testing other products such as shoe inserts and dog blankets to determine market interest. Rodney Weber, president of the Saskatchewan Alpacas Breeders Network (SABN SABN Standard Automated Bill of Materiel (BOM) Network ), says that with the number of alpacas in the country on the upswing Upswing An upward turn in a security's price after a period of falling prices. , there are growing opportunities for people to produce and sell alpaca products. The SABN formed in 1999 to develop the industry in the province. "The majority of processors produce the yarn on a fee-for-service basis," he says. "It is then shipped back to the alpaca owner to make it into end-products such as mitts and socks." The industry is currently in the cottage stage because there are not enough alpacas for commercial operations. The Gossweilers say that they can only grow their business in increments because there is simply not enough fibre in the country to meet increasing demand. To help alpaca owners meet the rising demand, the Canadian Camelid camelid members of the family Camelidae; includes camels and the South American camelids—alpaca, guanaco, llama, vicuna. Fibre Co-operative was created. Weber describes it as a fibre quality control and grading service. It educates consumers and retailers, and acts as an agent for members to help them through processing and manufacturing. "There is an opportunity here to expand Saskatchewan's alpaca industry," said Weber. "There is an increasing number of animals and increased demand for processing and finished products." |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion