Their History
Horizon, bred by Livanti Alpacas.
Domestication of the Alpaca commenced in South America about 6,000 years ago. Whereas the Llama was breed to be ‘a beast of burden,’ the Alpaca was selectively breed for its luxurious fibre.
The Spanish conquest saw much of the Alpaca population slaughtered to make way for sheep and cattle on the low lands of South America. Those animals that survived did so at four to five thousand metres above sea level on the high Altiplano of the Andes. They survived because of their importance to the indigenous population, their ability to live at high attitudes and under conditions that cannot sustain other domestic animals.
Their Future
The relatively small number of Alpacas in the UK (about 20,000, of which there are around 11,000 registered pedigree Alpacas in 2006) means that the industry is still small. In recent years, the increased availability of UK breeding stock and the importing of Alpacas has enabled the industry to develop to the stage where it can produce ‘home grown’ yarns, fabrics and finished products.
Outlets for fleece include commercial processors, local fibre groups, mini mills and, hand spinners and weavers. In the UK, fibre marketing is in the early stages of its development. Whilst today’s Alpaca industry is breeding based, more and more emphasis is being placed on the production of quality fibre, wool and worsted yarns, and fabrics.
The ultimate commercial objective is to see Alpacas being farmed in large numbers purely for their fleece. In addition to these fibre herds, there will also be breeders who continually strive to improve the quality of their herd. These Alpacas will be for showing and for improving the quality of the commercial fibre herds.
Because of the Alpaca’s slow reproduction rate (one Cria a year), the farming of Alpacas solely for their fibre could still be a few years away. In the short term, the industry is based on breeding and stud fees. The fibre marketing and added value aspects of the industry (yarn, fabrics and clothing) are growing, as are Alpaca services, consultancy and welfare. Furthermore, as the number of breeders and Alpacas increases, so does the accessories market (head collars and blankets etc).
