What are the investment qualities of alpacas?
An alpaca rancher with a small herd on a small acreage can expect to harvest his animals’ fleece and sell their offspring profitably. The value of alpaca fleece is the economic underpinning of the future market for alpacas. Breeders outside of South America are beginning to organize wool co-ops for the commercial processing of the fleece. Domestic fiber is often sold to cottage industries that revolve around hand-spinning and weaving. Most alpaca ranchers readily sell their fleece for $2 to $5 an ounce to local artisans. Each animal will produce five to eight pounds of fleece a year. A North American fiber co-op, endorsed by AOBA, is in its formative stages and very soon will provide a commercial outlet for all breeders.
