The Alpaca Expo is coming to Hamilton.
This month the Alpaca Association New Zealand hosts a delegation of Chinese dignitaries at their annual Alpaca Expo in Hamilton.
This year's expo has been expanded to host the World Alpaca Conference and an international fleece show and will see visitors from around the globe including Professor Changsheng Dong for
the Ministry of Education of China and the chief expert in modern agricultural and technology systems of Shanxi Province.
The Alpaca Expo will be held from September 20-22 at Claudelands Events Centre and is open to the public with a $5 cover charge, followed by the World Alpaca Conference on September 23-24. Professor Dong will be speaking at the conference dinner.
He will be in New Zealand investigating alpaca exports from New Zealand to China where alpaca are an increasingly popular animal. China represents a huge opportunity to New Zealand alpaca breeders and is as yet relatively untapped.
It is common for alpaca to be exported to Japan and Taiwan but to date a lack of export protocols has prevented the Chinese market from being exploited. The alpaca association is currently working with government agencies towards the development of protocols and is hopeful that the support of Chinese government officials such as professor Dong will smooth the way.
