BRITISH MOHAIR
More than a Product!
From Field to Fibre – The British Mohair Story
Mohair is one of the most valuable natural fibres, but despite the high value and luxury status, mohair is still a commodity with global production between 4,500 and 5,000 metric tonnes with the major trading hub now South Africa. The total production in Britain is less than a fraction of 1 percent of that. As a tiny player in a global market you have two options, to be less expensive than everyone else, or have a unique attribute that cannot easily be replicated by other players. EU regulations make it very difficult to make claims about a product without factual evidence from third parties, but there is one attribute that is sustainable and very challenging to replicate – geographic origin. So the concept of British Mohair was born.
British Mohair is not just high quality mohair, it is the end product of a carefully crafted collaboration between three players – small British family farms and their Angora goats as mohair producers, British Mohair Marketing Ltd as the organisational and logistical hub, and SEAL International as the exclusive commercial processing partner, each contributing their own expertise to build a vertically integrated supply chain.
Mohair Production
Shearing usually takes place in January/February just before the does give birth and again in July/August at the height of the summer. Shearing is a slow process since the goat’s skin is very soft and loose and avoiding cuts is the highest priority. At the same time, gentle handling reduces stress and makes the process smoother and easier for both the goat and the shearer. Shearing is not a painful process for the goat, just like having a haircut and after a few minutes they walk away with a new spring in their step, having lost anything up to 5 kilograms of fibre! If the weather is cold and/or wet they will usually be kept inside for a few days to acclimatise.
ESSENTIAL SUPPORT FOR YOU AND YOUR ANGORA GOATS
Whether you have 2 Angora goats or 200, British Mohair Marketing is there to support you all the way. We can help you choose the right goats, guide you on their husbandry and nutritional requirements and if you don’t want to use your raw mohair yourself we will arrange to sell it for you!
BMM is only interested in your Mohair! We don’t mind if your Angora goats are registered with BAGS or not (although would like it if they were!) as long as they are purebred. Neither do we mind how much (or how little) raw mohair you want to contribute, whether it is 2kg or 200kg (or even more!). We pay the same price per kg irrespective of the quantity.
Enjoy the support of a community of like minded individuals who you can turn to for help when needed at all stages of your mohair journey. Then relax in the knowledge that you don’t have to worry about selling your valuable mohair – that’s all taken care of!
About Us
British Mohair Marketing Ltd is a mutual society run for the benefit of it’s members. Our purpose is to provide services relating to the production, collection, consolidation and sale of members mohair in a a convenient and profitable manner. We work with processors and other organisations to promote British Mohair from our UK-based producers (including those who process their own mohair and sell the resulting products directly) as a sustainable and environmentally sound product, produced in a responsible and ethical manner with the highest possible livestock welfare standards.