The demand for New Zealand cashmere is “almost overwhelming” according to Olivia Sanders, a third-generation merino farmer in Central Otago and business development manager at New Zealand Cashmere.
“The global cashmere market is worth over $3.2 billion (USD) and is forecast to continue to rise so the demand for cashmere is very high. Weekly we get inquiries
from these luxury fashion houses requesting tonnes upon tonnes of New Zealand-
sourced fibre, and at this stage, we can’t provide it,” Olivia says.
Cashmere is one of the rarest fibres in the world, renowned for its softness, lightness, and warmth. Traditionally cashmere has been grown in Mongolia,
Iran, and China. However, luxury fashion brands and informed consumers concerned about the origins of their products regarding environmental
and ethical issues are turning to countries like ours that can produce good cashmere ethically.
“Our cashmere ends up in high-end brands that we don’t typically see here in
New Zealand, one brand house we work with owns Gucci, Balenciaga, and
other high-end brands,” Olivia adds. “The cashmere market is really well established; we are only trying to provide a tiny slither of the entire world market. Because of the products NZ can offer we’re in the premium end of the cashmere industry, which is already a luxury industry. We are looking at that top 1%, for luxurious, sustainable, traceable fibre, that’s where New Zealand Cashmere sits.”
Therefore, New Zealand Cashmere is looking for farmers who would consider
diversifying and turning their feral goats into cash-producing animals, from pest to profit. “The fibre is worth between $110/kg and $150/ kg and there’s a market
for meat too,” Olivia explains
“Farmers need to start seeing goats as a farm tool and get a return at the same time.” Goats can control weeds, removing the cost of sprays and time spent in the weed control space. There is also a strong market for kids and wethers – a buck (known as a billy goat) that has been castrated.
Building up a decent flock of goats doesn’t take long as they are quick breeders. Currently, in the South Island, we have 15 cashmere growers whose flocks range from 50 -2,000 and, Olivia adds, “A lot started out with 50ish animals to get a feel for them and built up over a year or so to a bigger flock.” Don’t let the 80’s cashmere crash put you off as a lot has changed since then.
“The 80’s was a bit of the perfect storm with a lot of reasons why it didn’t work out. From that we have done a lot of work and research, in terms of breed and market things are really solid,” Olivia explains.
“Starting with feral goats is great, we know they have survivability and resilience in our country conditions, and these are the traits we want to bring forward into our cashmere flocks. It’s a great opportunity to turn a pest into profit and utilize the resources we have at hand.” Something else different from the 80’s is our country’s dedicated wool yarn scouring plant in Lower Hutt.
“We are not reliant on any other country, we don’t have to worry about export or import rules changing, or tariffs. It’s all produced here within New Zealand which is really exciting and a strong selling point for our overseas buyers, having a complete supply chain like this doesn’t happen in any other country,” Olivia says.
“Goats are so versatile; they are a neat animal and easy to farm.” Anyone interested in investigating further can head to nzcashmere.com
