The Feds say: Angora goats - farming for future

Angora goats have plenty of potential.

The goat fibre industry has a long way to go to emulate the commercial success of dairy goats, but it nevertheless has plenty of potential.

This was on show this month when Federated Farmers mohair producers held a very successful conference in Ashburton.

The March 3-5 event focused on giving Angora goat farmers knowledge about how to extract more value from their flocks.

Mohair fleece prices exceed those from mainstream sheep farming, and those prices are set to increase significantly as more fibre production reaches the high-value weaving quality grade.

The goat sector has strong environmental credentials, an attribute likely to be progressively more important in an increasingly connected and ecologically sensitive world.

To this end, while the conference included the important business side of the Mohair Producers NZ organisation, the real highlight was the field trips.

The Saturday field trip, which was preceded by a useful presentation on the value of genetic tools to the sector by Dr Mark Ferguson of the NZ Merino Company, gave new and not-so-new goat farmers the benefit of the experience of industry stalwarts Ray and Donece McEwan and included a practical shearing demonstration.

The Sunday trip was to the Mohair Pacific Ltd warehouse, one of two warehouses (the other being Mohair Division of Ohuka Farms Ltd in the North Island) that class and send for sale overseas the valuable mohair fibre Angora goats produce.

David Williams, an Australian expert on the sale of mohair, gave attendees advice on the direction he believes the New Zealand industry needs to go and there were hands-on exercises on assessing fleeces and contaminants.

In short, Angora goat farming and the lustrous and valuable mohair fibre it produces look set for a great future.

- Anyone considering angora goat farming is welcome to contact senior industry adviser David Burt at Federated Farmers' Wellington office dburt@fedfarm.org.nz