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ALPACAS
MAGAZINE
I
n January, 2012, Alpaca United’s Board
of Directors approved its first industry
wide project, the 2012 Fiber to Market
Days. Here is the story.…
What is Fiber to Market?
This summer, six Host Farms across the
country agreed to invite producers in their
area to participate in one of the industry’s
first “sell your fiber for cash” initiatives.
Producers arrived at the Host Farm site
with their clip, fiber was graded on the
spot and producers drove away with cash
in hand. The pricing paid for this year was
based on a survey of the current commer-
cial market. Each site was limited to 1000
pounds a day, and every site was fully
booked prior to the day of the event.
What is Happening to the Fiber?
AU is not purchasing fiber, but rather has
chosen to fulfill its mission by develop-
ing opportunities that will bring produc-
ers and buyers—and ultimately other
textile producers—together. All the fiber
has been sold to other producers in our
industry making domestic products, textile
producers outside of the alpaca world and
buyers of specialty fiber. In each case,
AU is working on a selling price that will
provide a small margin to cover the costs
of the Fiber to Market initiative and other
future projects. As the interest grows in
our fiber, the expectation is that the price
point for fiber ready for the commercial
market will increase.
Why did AU Select This Project?
We looked around, asked what could we
do that had the potential to help with the
development of the market and “collection
for payment” seemed like a logical step.
What’s Next for AU?
Stay tuned as we evaluate this summer’s
project, decide next steps and continue
to work hard for the benefit of our AU
investors and our industry.
What’s Happening at Alpaca United?
BY ALPACA UNITED BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE 2012 AU FIBER TO MARKET PROJECT COMMITTEE
ALPACA
Industry News