Suri NetworkSymposium

2014

Fleece for the Commercial and World-wide Market

• There is no world-wide market for Suri fleece

• There is no appreciable domestic market either

• There is opportunity!

Where are we today?

A show-centric industry

A fancier-centric market (largely)

In 2010 there were:6270 white suri alpacas producing

3520lb of under 20 micron fiber

8800lb 0f 20.1 - 23 micron fiber

10100lb of >23 micron fiber

for a total production of 22,300 lb

6300 beige and light fawn suri alpacas producing

32800lb of uner 20 micron fiber

11800lb of 20.1 - 23 micron fiber

13080lb over 23 micron fiber

for a total production of 28160lb

5660 brown and bay black suri alpacas producing

2940lb of under 20 micron fiber

7580lb of 20.1 - 23 micron fiber

9600lb of over 23 micron fiber

for a total production of 20120lb

The numbers for grey and true black are insignificant compared to the other colors.

Since 2010 it is estimated that total

production of suri fiber has increased

40%

Where is this fiber and what are growers doing with it?

If they are not using it, why are they breeding at all?

Could it be that they are not breeding what spinners and processors want?

Is appearance of the animal more important than what it grows on its

back?

Probably?

Suri provides problems for existing spinners that are different from most

other ‘wools’.

What are the problems?

Currently suri very closely looks and processes like straight hair, something

spinners do not know, or want, to handle.

Current machinery is not set up, or capable of, handling commercial

volumes of hair.

Length is the number one problem.

Slipperiness is number two

Is uneconomic to process as a stand-alone fiber.

Lock structure kills yield through waste and therefore money and resources.

Learn from the Australian wool industry in the 70’s and 80’s

NO-ONE has to buy suri!

Especially if we do not produce what they want!

Commercial mills in New Zealand, England, Italy and now Malaysia do not

want length longer than 140mm (5.5 inches) and would prefer it to be under

130 (5 inches).

They want flat open locks,

They want high curvature,

What are we producing?

Low curvature

Twisted locks

Long locks

Twisted locks

And we are asking them to pay us a premium for our fiber?

• The high-end market is under stress as consumers become more casual in their dress habits, clothes become more expendable and fashion trends change seemingly by the season.

• Demand for ‘drapy’ and brushed products are crashing world-wide

Colored fiber is NOT wanted!

The demand is for white and very light beige with a limited demand for tue

black

There is no other demand

What do we do?

Grow and sell what spinners want!

It is that simple, important and necessary!

What they want is:

• Shorter length

• High curvature

• High processing yield

• No color

• Commercial volumes - and with regularity

How do we deliver?• Cross breed suri with huacaya to create

curvature

• Breed for flat locks

• Breed for slower growing fiber or shear 3x in two years

• Concentrate on white

• Add density for fineness• Concentrate of eliminating strong

primary fibers• Increase the blanket area• Shear more carefully• Skirt more carefully• Network to aggregate like fleeces into

commercially acceptable bales

Our biggest challengers?Cashmere is in a slump with significant

national herds declining in quality production

Mohair is now being grown at uner 15 microns, something that has never happened before and seriously challenges cashmere and alpaca

• Peru is with-holding raw fleece from international markets trying to drive prices up

• Peru will never be beaten on price, ever.• Are we ready to fill the breach?

No!

But we could be if we act to meet market needs!

The question is

Will we?I hope so…..

Thank you for the invitation to talk with you …. I hope I haven’t offended too

many with my views and suggestions!

Ian Watt

Alpaca Consulting USA

August 2014