Executive Summary
Introduction

Most of the work on Australian cashmere production was undertaken during the 1980s. For the cashmere industry to be attractive to investors it must increase returns to existing producers and provide current economic and production data. This benchmarking project worked with producers and processors to develop new information on the production and processing of cashmere.

Research objectives and general approach
Project DAV 200A “Developing processing and production benchmarks for cashmere” aimed to:

1. Develop new preparation and processing procedures based on objective benchmarks;
2. Determine and verify current production levels of flocks of cashmere goats; and
3. Determine the current economic potential for harvesting crossbred Australian cashmere flocks.

The following general process was carried out:

1. Cashmere goats on thirteen properties were monitored and their fleeces measured and sampled.
2. Cashmere production, quality and value were determined.
3. Identified, quality controlled batches of cashmere were processed and the products measured.
4. Detailed statistical analyses of factors affecting cashmere production, cashmere quality and processing outcomes were completed.

Outcomes and implications
Cashmere production of two-year-old does varied from 69 to 225 g/head and averaged 141 g/head.

These levels of production are not different to the published data over the past 25 years. Fleece value ranged from $6.24 to $21.59 per fleece. The top 30% of producers averaged $20.79 per fleece compared with $15.11 per fleece for all producers. Crossbred cashmere goats had low average production and poorer quality and offer little incentive to increase cashmere production. Generally the live weight gains for cashmere goats in the present work appear very modest. A major issue for the cashmere industry appears to be the ability of producers to grow weaned does and to maintain any live weight gains without subsequent live weight loss. These results provide a clear message for Australian cashmere growers. There is large scope to increase both average cashmere production and financial returns. If all cashmere producers reached the production level of the top producers it would result in a 35% overall increase in fleece value and total production.

A majority of the variation in clean cashmere production of Australian cashmere (56%) was associated with property and mean fibre diameter. Addition of staple length and fibre curvature measurements accounted for 7 to 13% more variation. Given the small improvement in variance when property and measurements are additive, group breeding schemes should only include mean fibre diameter, fibre curvature and staple length. Factors influencing fibre curvature were evaluated.

The research showed that length and quantity of the first product of processing cashmere can be manipulated by altering the quality attributes of raw cashmere. This means that cashmere producers and brokers can prepare lots of cashmere that will process with different efficiencies and produce different value products. The length of the first product of cashmere processing produced in this study were superior to or equal to the best available cashmere from other origins of production.

Recommendations
On the basis of the findings in this report the following recommendations are made:

1. That fibre preparation procedures be changed to identify cashmere with long staples.
2. The cashmere processor alters processing procedures to produce longer cashmere.
3. The cashmere industry establishes ongoing production benchmarking.
4. A full analysis of the processing data obtained in this report be completed.

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Last updated: October 2005
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