Topic by Aaronfreed

  • Aaronfreed
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l am contemplating to start a business in Alpacas as it seems to be a fairly good industry to be in. The key issue, l do not understand properly though is the seemingly inflated prices. Although l understand that the wool is superior to sheep wool it does not explain that a quality alpaca costs $3000 compared to a quality sheep of roughly $80. My question is, how do l make a living out of alpacas? Would someone know what farming systems are available?

  Reply by Beert

  • Beert
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Are Alpacas a viable business

A few of my neighbors own Alpacas, but they only have a few & do not use them for their main cash influx, they r all around organic farmers who grow crops have sheep cows & goats.

''Alpacas were expensive to import at a cost of $18,000 - $20,000 per animal. Importers had to first pay the cooperatives from which the animals were selected, then pay a ''tax'' to the Peruvian government. The animals were then quarantined in Peru before being transported to the U.S. At a cost of $500,000 the importers constructed a quarantine facility in a remote location of the Peru desert. Once in the U.S., the alpacas were again quarantined for 90 days. Veterinarians & employees were hired to staff the quarantine facilities 24 hours a day. These expenses, & the associated transportation costs involved, caused the total cost of a single importation to far exceed $1,000,000. Alpacas purchased in the U.S. today reflect the costs associated with importations. The rarity of the alpaca in the U.S. also influences the price people r willing to pay. Limited supply & growing demand for alpacas in this country r factors that keep prices high.''
-http://chesapeakealpacas.com/pages/alpaca_faqs.html