A. Introduction
Why do people in so many countries call alpacas, The worlds finest
livestock investment? For any investment to be valuable, it must possess
certain qualities which make it desirable. Gold is scarce, real estate
provides shelter, oil produces energy, bonds earn interest, stocks are
supposed to increase in value, and diamonds symbolize love. Alpacas
share many of these investment attributes.
Around the world, alpacas are in strong demand, and people pay high
prices for them. They are scarce, unique, and the textiles produced from
their fiber are known in the fashion centers of Paris, Milan and Tokyo.
There are excellent profit opportunities and tax advantages available
to alpaca breeders. Historically, the alpaca s value has sustained
ancient cultures, such as the Incas of Peru, and today alpacas are the
sustaining economic force for millions of South Americans. History has
validated the value of the alpaca.
Livestock, or animals raised for profit, was an investment long before
financial stocks were sold on the New York Stock Exchange. The richest
families of ancient times counted their wealth by the size of their
flocks of sheep or herds of cattle. Today, wealth as a result of
livestock ownership is not as common, but tending to a graceful herd of
alpacas can also be an exciting way to earn a substantial cash flow and
live a rewarding lifestyle.
Alpaca breeders enjoy nurturing their animals every bit as much as
receiving the profits they provide. A retired doctor who is now a full
time alpaca breeder had this to say: I would rather raise alpacas than
anything I ve ever done. Breeding alpacas is a labor of love and very
profitable.
Since 1984, alpacas have appeared, almost simultaneously, in several
countries where they had never been seen before. The U.S., Canada, New
Zealand, France, Australia and England have all acquired the foundation
animals for national herds. What makes this animal so desirable? Bottom
line: alpacas are both profitable and enjoyable.