Alpaca exports from australia

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The Australian alpaca industry has grown considerably in recent years. In 2016, the estimated fleece production was 242 tons per annum. 

Australia has one of the largest registered breeding herds in the world, with more than 200,000 animals. These alpacas are valuable for breeding stock, fleece, meat, pelts, and leather.

Australian alpaca breeding livestock is highly valued for its superior genetics, quality fleece and healthy constitutions. Because of this, exporting alpacas as breeding stock is highly popular both domestically and internationally. Live export of alpacas is the only way to trade on the global market as semen and embryos cannot be exported. 

There are three types of export trades:

• Premium breeding livestock with highly valued genetics. 
• Tier two breeding livestock sold in bulk consignment. 
• Tier two livestock sold in small consignments. 

Other than breeding, Australia is a world leader in quality fleece production. Australian alpaca is valued for its soft, luxurious fleece sharing the top end of the international market of high-quality natural fibres.

From 2016-2021, Australia exported to the following countries: 

• China
• Hong Kong
• Indonesia
• Malaysia
• New Zealand
• Philippines
• Qatar
• Sabah
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Vietnam

In June 2021, Australia signed an exporting deal with Chile, which opened up trading access to the entirety of the European Union.

The cost of an alpaca can range from $250 – $50,000 per animal. These costs vary based on age, conformation, fiber quality, lineage, facial appearance, and personality. The higher the quality of these features and traits, the higher the cost of the alpaca.

Alpacas have multiple revenue streams that include:

• Raw fiber sales
• Sale of finished fiber products
• Sale of alpacas
• Breedings of alpacas
• Manure sales
• Meat sales
• Sales of services related to alpacas

Alpacas produce roughly 1.5 to 4.5 kilograms of fleece per year and live for 15 to 20 years. The fiber comes in 24 natural colours and in five different grades of softness. 

Air transport is an integral transport mode for the export of Australian Alpaca livestock due to it’s short transit times. From 2016 to 2018, all alpacas, goats, camels, and deer exported from Australia were exported by air. It is a necessary part of the export industry as a method for exporting high-value livestock, particularly breeding livestock and smaller consignments. 

Stockair has developed its own speciality range of custom-built livestock "air-crates". These crates provide exceptional ventilation, appropriate strength for the type of animal being transported and an ability to be customized to suit individual clients' needs. All air-crates are fitted with livestock mats. These mats are used for moisture retention, ammonia absorption and aircraft protection. We supply air crates to all major Australian and New Zealand airports, ensuring each crate is both compliant and suited to the animal and its travelling environment.