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ECDC invests R850 000 in Angora rabbit fibre production pilot

26th February 2015

By: Megan van Wyngaardt

Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

  

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Development financier, the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), has committed R850 000 towards a pilot project by Port Elizabeth-based Equipt Consulting to produce apparel from Angora rabbit fibre.

During the pilot phase, 100 rabbits would be bred and groomed. Their fur would be harvested for the first time in April  and every four months thereafter. The project sought to become a competitor for the Angora goat mohair market.

Further, Equipt would aim to duplicate the project throughout the Eastern Cape and, in the process, highlight the medicinal effects of angora fibre.

“[A] study conducted by [us has shown that] Angora rabbit fibre is seven times warmer than wool [but] thinner, offers more comfort and has a certain glow (referred to as halo) that is enhanced whenever you wash a garment made from it,” Equipt pilot project leader Donevin Lesch said. 

“In the Eastern Cape, the production of Angora goat mohair dominates the luxurious fibre market and, through this pilot, we wanted to determine the feasibility of Angora rabbit fibre products,” he added.

China was currently the largest producer of Angora rabbit fibre.

Equipt was aiming to become the largest producer in the Eastern Cape in the next two years and, soon thereafter, also in South Africa, with the capacity to also trade in international markets.

“The agroprocessing sector can ensure both provincial and national skills transfer and training, while in the process [alleviating] poverty through job creation. We seek to produce and export locally made garments, with our main target being the northern hemisphere, as it is colder and, subsequently, the southern hemisphere during the winter season,” Lesch explained.

Asked whether the rabbits would be treated humanely when their fur is harvested, Lesch told Engineering News Online that if a rabbit became distressed at any point during the harvesting process, the groomer would stop immediately and place it back in its cage.

“For us, it is important to take good care of these rabbits by grooming them once a week. Our staff has been trained to understand that the idea is not to harm these animals, nor is it to simply take the wool. Naturally, if [the rabbits’] fur is not groomed, it becomes knotted and starts pulling away directly from the hair follicle, resulting in sores.

“The Angora rabbit fibre grows over a period of four months and within those four months, the rabbits would be groomed or brushed each week to ensure there are no knots. By the fourth month, a second layer of fur would have grown resulting in the shedding of the first layer. A supervised caregiver would then place the rabbit on their lap and gently pluck the loose fur on the first layer.

“Angora rabbits all have their own identity and personality and [this] needs to be taken into consideration. We try to maintain a level of trust with the animal, ensuring that they are always at ease,” he added.

Although the industry is relatively small, it was extremely labour intensive, as Angora rabbits were sensitive creatures that needed to be handled with care. With Equipt’s highly trained staff, Lesch said the company was able to provide good care for the rabbits and, in turn, harvest their fur without any harm to the rabbits.

FINANCING
ECDC business adviser Wendy Hempe said that, through its innovative risk capital facility, the financier took the first risk to research, develop and establish new economic growth sectors.

“Development finance institutions that work are those that invest in high-risk projects with a potential for high returns. Through the ECDC’s innovative risk capital, the funder provides start-up funding to support the preparation of projects such as Angora rabbits for further development and research into market-ready products. The long-term objective is the development of a high-quality pipeline of loans and equity investments.

“Making use of this risk capital facility, the ECDC was able to provide training for a project which we believe contributes to our quest of developing a high-quality pipeline of loans and equity investments. The ECDC is also currently overseeing the commencement of the construction of a structure to house these rabbits,” Hempe said.

She added that businesses such as Equipt had the potential to create future high-return businesses for the ECDC, which would be used to finance the ECDC’s development mandate. It also created a pipeline of quality loans for the corporation’s development finance division.

Hempe concluded that the ECDC would continue to fund feasibility studies, testing for market-readiness, trials, prototypes and the compilation of business plans for commercialisation.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

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