Patagonia: due to the drought, the birth rate of goats fell by 40% and there will be less Mohair wool.

The effects of the drought in the fields of Neuquén, Northern Patagonia, have moved from being a forecast to being felt, with a drop in the birth of goats around 45%, which has impacted the collection of mohair wool in almost the same proportion. From the Cooperative of Small Agricultural Producers of the central zone (Zapala) it was confirmed that the collection of wool this year will not exceed 8,000 kilos, when in previous seasons it reached 13,000 kilos, which translates to a 40% reduction in the main product that hundreds of breeders have for their subsistence. The incentive could come from the side of prices, which have recovered compared to last year, going from about 11,000 to 15,000 pesos per kilo, which would imply a 35% recovery in pesos. From the cooperative it was reported that in October —on average— sales were at a value of 10 dollars per kilo. But this week the average offered by the two main buyers was 9 dollars, when in December of last year they paid 9.61. The ...