The Alpaca Industry

Planning the best tax structure deal for a farming business is not something to be rushed into at the end of the financial year. If your family business is looking to reduce or eliminate tax or stamp duty implications ahead of a looming restructure, farm succession manoeuvre, or sale, the chances are everybody involved needs to be much more familiar with the way their enterprise operates. more »

In discussions with alpaca breeders the world over it is often that lifestyle is quoted as the reason they first purchased alpacas. For most it is an idyllic choice. However for everyone with alpacas there comes a point when decisions need to be made: How to move on the alpacas we no longer necessary in their breeding programs? How to finance those matings or new animals that we would like to buy? How to realise a return on the investment already made? more »

Alpacas present a unique business opportunity. For the owner willing to put forth the necessary work, substantial income can be made from the sale of alpaca breeding stock. However, it is important for new or prospective alpaca owners to realize that these alpacas do not sell themselves. Before purchasing an alpaca with the intent of "making money", it is very important to thoroughly research the industry, and to have a business plan. more »

The alpaca “business” is still a game....right or wrong, we need to acknowledge it and not try to call it something else. We base breeding decisions on winnings in the show ring so that we can then produce a “winner” and sell our animals. It hasn’t changed in the ten plus years that we’ve been in the business. I wish I could share in the excitement of seeing our show system “coming back” and the numbers picking up at the shows. However, without apology, I cannot see the jubilation in perpetuating a system that doesn’t promote our alpaca industry as a livestock industry. It continues to promote it as an entertainment industry akin to the equine business. more »

Hobbiness, noun, a combination of “Hobby and Business.” Fiction. The word Hobbiness is not in the dictionary. This concept cannot exist in reality. In other words, your craft cannot be both a Hobby and a Business. You must decide whether you want to pursue a vocation as either a hobby or business, and this is the first concept that I advise people to choose when contemplating owning alpacas. It is “alright” to keep alpacas as a hobby. You do not need to turn it into a business. more »