Seyed Abbas Rafat

By Seyed Abbas Rafat

The word cashmere in particular refers to the fine fibers of goats that are grown in high and cold regions of the world. There is not a specific cashmere-producing goat in the world, that is, there are many breeds or ecotypes that produce cashmere fibers. Cashmere-producing goats are grown majorly in areas that are very limited in alternative sources of income, such as agriculture or industry. Therefore, raising goats will encourage the villagers to live in the same rural and nomadic areas and do not migrate to cities. Therefore, the socio-ecological aspects of cashmere goat farming are important and must be notified by animal scientists. Structure of hair and cashmere fibers, physiology, and genetic and nongenetic factors that influence cashmere goats has been mentioned. Challenges and problems facing the cashmere industry reviewed briefly in this chapter: In general, cashmere goat production has some very interesting aspects from interaction of animal science and textile industry’s viewpoint. Cashmere goats are combined with many other human activities in low-density farming. In the world today, it is necessary to pay more attention to raising goats in less developed areas. We declared the importance of cashmere goats in a whole system of animal production, especially in extensive agriculture systems.

Part of the book: Goats (Capra)