So Why Alpacas?
Two reasons. First, we were looking for a combination of lifestyle and investment that would carry us into retirement, give us the opportunity to do business with good people and produce a good income.
Secondly, we choose alpacas, more specifically suri alpacas, because the market is strong and growing and the tax advantages are favorable.
Alpacas are part of the camelid family and are cousin to the llama and the guanaco. There are two types of alpacas: huacaya and suri. The suri is the rarest of breeds comprising 18% of the U.S. population creating a high market demand. Today, it is estimated that less than 120,000 suris exist world-wide, with only one or two percent of these being colored. On the world market, suri fleece is in high demand for its luster and hand (softness) for the high fashion textile markets. Today it commands more than double the price of huacaya fiber.
The suri alpaca evolved from the rare and still-wild vicuna. Suri fiber was reserved exclusively for Inca royalty. Suris have unique rope-like, twisted locks unlike the huacaya fiber which is more compact and spongy with a crimp (zig-zag). These long fibers hang parallel to the body sides and neck, falling from the mid-line of the back in individual locks which contain groups of straight fibers.
Suri alpacas have extraordinary vigor and intelligence. They are easy to raise and have great adaptability to both hot and cold climates, making them an excellent investment anywhere in the United States.
