Wezi Tjaronda
21 April 2008
Windhoek — The price of Swakara, Namibia's karakul pelts, on the international market continues to increase.
At the recent auction in Copenhagen, Denmark, Swakara recorded the highest price ever paid at any of the auctions in the recent past.
A Greek buyer, Bourtsos Kostantinos, paid N$1396 (approximately 850 DKK) for a package of 52D Light Lyre Selected Super pelts. The previous highest price paid was N$1250 in 2006, while in September 2007, the highest price paid was N$677.74.
Although the price took a dip in 2007, the high prices being fetched on the international market indicate renewed interest in the industry,
producers say.
This year, all the 79653 Swakara pelts were sold by Agra at an average price of 256.99 Danish Krone (DKK), a decrease of 3.94 percent compared to DKK270.13 fetched in September 2007. Although there was a noticeable decrease in the Danish currency, there was an increase of 9 percent in the US dollar. The US dollar price was 55 in contrast to US$49.6 at the previous auction.
"Thus the decrease in Danish Krone can be blamed on the weak performance of the US dollar in contrast to the Krone," according to the weekly Namibia Agriculture Union newsletter.
The average price in Namibia Dollar of N$422,08 shows a 19.34 percent increase compared to N$353.69 recorded at the previous auction.
Pelts offered on the market included 69208 black, 461 grey, 5455 white, 377 brown and 4152 miscellaneous.
In all, 35 purchasers bought the pelts with the largest buyers being agents from England, while Japan and Italy came second and third, respectively. Japan was, however, the single largest buyer.
Buyers from Germany, the US, South Korea, Hong Kong, Greece, Denmark and Israel also took part in the auction.
Giel Karsten of Karasbug, who sold 574 pelts at an average price of N$590.01, was Namibia's top producer, while South Africa's top producer was Will Louw of Kakamas. Louw sold 268 pelts at an average of R558.24.
Namibia produces approximately 140000 pelts per annum under Swakara at the Copenhagen Fur Denmark, twice a year in April and September. Agra manages a pelt-sorting centre in Windhoek and is responsible for the collecting, sorting and marketing of Swakara pelts, which are produced locally as well as from South Africa and Botswana.
This year, the Karakul Producers Forum has cele-brated its 10th anniversary while the cooperation with Copenhagen fur is in its 12th year.
Namibia at present has between 700 and 800 karakul producers.
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