Yellow Wood worked with Suri Paco to evaluate the costs and benefits of an expanded wholesale production program, including demand, supply and processing of domestic alpaca fiber for a range of value-added products, including bales, non-woven felt, hand-knitting yarn and woven blankets. Suri Paco received funding through the USDA Value-Added Producer Grants for the development of a mid-tier value chain for a natural fiber (alpaca). The feasibility study documented existing production resources (as well as gaps in facilities and technologies), the availability of alpaca fiber, production costs and price points for each of the four products and provided an analysis of profitability for each product. The feasibility study will help Suri Paco to identify potential partners and further the development of a new value-added agricultural value chain in the United States.
Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development
