Brazilian goat wool world's best, research finds

Cashmere made from Brazilian goat wool is the finest and best quality cashmere in the world, according to a doctoral study by Lia Souza Coelho from the Zootechnics Institute of the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ). “Nothing is finer than our local [cashmere] from goats born in Brazil.”

According to the researcher, an expert in electron microscopy, the quality of Brazilian goat wool is superior to that of traditional producing regions including China, Nepal, Mongolia, Afghanistan, the Himalayas, and Iran. The reason is the thinness of the thread, only 8,46 microns on average, whereas Nepal's, which used to be the thinnest, is 12 microns. A micron is one millionth of a meter. Moreover, according to Lia, the comfort factor of Brazilian goat cashmere is 100%, above the best rate found so far (between 96% and 98%).

These qualities can make Brazilian cashmere five times as expensive as others. But it has not yet been released into the market, and researchers are now working to develop a fabric that mixes the special fiber with cotton.

In order to make the fiber commercially available, the researcher said, the discovery needs to be promoted among goat producers, to show them the commercial value of the product. The material she has worked with has been obtained from the Federal University of Viçosa, Minas Gerais.

The best breed to produce cashmere fiber is the Boer goat, which is raised by meat goat farmers. “All of them are very good on average, but the Boer goat can yield more than 10 times as much cashmere as other breeds,” the researcher explained. The Alpine and the Saanen dairy breeds are the next best. Each animal can produce one kilo of fiber per year, which means the breeder could make R$3,500 ($1,000) per animal, compared to R$150 ($45.70) on average per animal sold for slaughter.

On June 16, the researcher will fly to Portugal to present her findings at the International Conference on Natural Fibers.

Translated by Mayra Borges