Vicuña Wool: Producers Or Exporters?

Montauk_Project

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I am trying to get in touch with someone who either produces vicuña wool or who exports vicuña wool, AKA alpaca. Argentina exports a lot, but so far unable to get in touch via googling.
I just found out that a suit made from this can go for 30,000 Euros! who knew?
Any leads would be much appreciated, even a phone number of a weaver that you bought a poncho from on your last trip up north.
 
Vicuña and alpaca are not the same thing. Be careful.
There is wool from llamas, wool from alpaca (baby llama), and wool from vicuña.
Vicuña is a small animal that looks like a mix between a llama and bambi.
Its fur has always been highly prized and very expensive. The animals primarily (and I'd say almost exclusively but I may be wrong) live in the altiplano of Bolivia in Peru. It was always very expensive difficult to get, but as far as I know its sale has been prohibited for about 3 years since the vicuñas were listed as endangered (although perhaps that has changed). I would be extremely suspicious of anyone selling vicuña. Best case scenario they are most likely trying to pass off alpaca as vicuña which is NOT the same thing.
 
Argentina has very few vicuñas in any event. The bulk of them are in protected areas in Peru and Chile, which enforce strict laws about any commercialization.
 
Thanks! I talked around, there are vicuña producers in Argentina BUT very few, and in very remote areas of Catamarca--this was confirmed by the a rep from Catamarca industry. There is also a vicuña yarn center in Buenos Aires.
They can only be harvested every three years.
thanks for correcting me about alpaca--I think the problems are the translations.
I will look into the contacts.
And don´t worry, I won´t be buying any vicuña wool!
 
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