100 Years of the karakul industry in Namibia 1907 – 2007

The origins of the industry TOWARDS the end of the 19th century, Central Asia (today’s Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan) became an important supplier of karakul or Persian lamb skins, especially those from the area of Buchara.

Russian and Armenian merchants would collect the skins and sell them either in London (Britain), Leipzig (Germany) or sell them domestically in Nishni Novgorod. In Leipzig, a renowned furrier company called Thorer, which started back in 1612, advised the German colonial government, which ruled over then South West Africa (now Namibia) to introduce karakul sheep to the country.A small herd of karakul sheep was imported to Germany in 1903 for research.According to Paul Thorer, the arid, desert conditions in Namibia are similar to those of the Central Asian steppes.The German government imported more karakuls to send them to Namibia.On September 24 1907, the first 12 sheep – two rams and ten ewes -arrived on board a freight ship at Swakopmund, which at that time still had a harbour.From these humble beginnings, the karakul industry grew in leaps and bounds, reaching its peak in the 1970s.QUALITIES The karakul sheep has some unique qualities.It has a dominant black gene, so a very high percentage of these sheep are born black.A desert animal that stores fat in its tail for nourishment in lean times, it is very hardy and adaptable.The pelts of the karakul lambs are historically referred to as ‘Persian lamb’ or ‘Broadtail’.This pelt is a lustrous coat of intricately patterned curls.They were legendary trade items on the ancient Silk Road of China, and were used extensively in Europe and later in the USA to tailor coats, jackets, waistcoats and hats.HISTORY The karakul is possibly the oldest breed of domesticated sheep.Archaeological evidence indicates the existence of Persian lambskins as early as 1400 B.C., and carvings of a distinct karakul type have been found in ancient Babylonian temples.Although known as the “fur sheep”, the karakul provided more than beautifully patterned, silky pelts.These sheep also were a source of milk, meat, tallow, and fibre.The wool of the adult karakul (a very strong fibre) was felted or spun into fabric for garments, footwear, carpets, and tents called yurts, among other uses.The karakul is native to Central Asia and is named after a village called Karakul.Karakul lies in the valley of the Amu Darja River in the former emirate of Buchara, West Turkestan, now Uzbekistan.It is situated at high altitude, with scant desert vegetation and a limited water supply.ANTI-FUR CAMPAIGN Pelts come from newborn lambs, which are slaughtered during the first two days after birth.During the golden era of the 1960s and ’70s, Namibia exported about five million pelts a year and karakul sheep were called ‘black diamonds,’ due to the karakul industry’s strong contribution to the economy.However, in the 1980s, animal rights organisations in Europe, the USA and Canada became very vocal against inhumane conditions and slaughtering methods.Killing karakul lambs virtually 48 hours after birth so that rich people could wear their pelts was seen as wrong.The same was argued for the fur industry, with furs coming from wild cats like tigers and leopards.Animal rights activists started spray-painting the fur coats and jackets of people in the streets and at important events like film galas.These worldwide anti-fur campaigns led to the collapse of fur industries in many countries, including Namibia.Karakul farmers could not sell their pelts anymore and this continued into the early 1990s.Herds were reduced and karakul sheep sold for mutton.Only 56 667 pelts were exported in 1997, the lowest figure ever.Only in the past five or six years has karakul pelt production increased again and furs have become fashionable once more.According to Agra, Namibia now produces approximately 140 000 pelts a year.These are sold under the brand label Swakara at the Copenhagen Fur Auction in Denmark twice a year.Agra manages a pelt-sorting centre in Windhoek, the only one in Africa, and is responsible for the collecting, sorting and marketing of Swakara pelts.Furs from South Africa are also sorted in Windhoek and sent together with Namibian furs to international auctions.There are 40 karakul breeders in Namibia and 16 karakul breeders in South Africa.Communal karakul farmers in southern Namibia are playing an increasingly important role, earning them an income in the arid area.Regular training courses in karakul sheep breeding and how to prepare the pelts for auctions are held for them.WOOL Agra handles approximately 400 000 kg karakul wool annually.The dark colours comprising the bulk at 95 per cent are exported to South Africa, while the lighter colours are sold on auction at the Pelt Centre in Windhoek twice a year.The lighter colours that are in demand at the auctions are white, fawn, brown, silver-grey and light grey.Agra also renders administrative services to the Karakul Board of Namibia.Karakul wool is used for carpet weaving and many Namibian karakul carpets can be spotted in the foyers of commercial banks, hotels and theatre houses across the world.Carpet weaving has become an important industry in Namibia.LATEST AUCTION Pelt prices experience ups and downs on international markets.The prices of Namibian karakul pelts auctioned in Denmark last month were 24 per cent lower than at the April auction.”The decline in price can mainly be attributed to the curl types and lower quality types of skin on offer.This tendency is also noticed amongst other types of fur, where buyers clearly distinguish between poor and good quality in terms of pricing,” added Hoffmann, who is the public relations officer at Agra.The warm winter in Europe and other fur-wearing countries also contributed towards fashion houses having higher stock levels and they are thus less prepared to purchase now at expensive prices, she added in a statement.In Leipzig, a renowned furrier company called Thorer, which started back in 1612, advised the German colonial government, which ruled over then South West Africa (now Namibia) to introduce karakul sheep to the country.A small herd of karakul sheep was imported to Germany in 1903 for research.According to Paul Thorer, the arid, desert conditions in Namibia are similar to those of the Central Asian steppes.The German government imported more karakuls to send them to Namibia.On September 24 1907, the first 12 sheep – two rams and ten ewes -arrived on board a freight ship at Swakopmund, which at that time still had a harbour.From these humble beginnings, the karakul industry grew in leaps and bounds, reaching its peak in the 1970s.QUALITIES The karakul sheep has some unique qualities.It has a dominant black gene, so a very high percentage of these sheep are born black.A desert animal that stores fat in its tail for nourishment in lean times, it is very hardy and adaptable.The pelts of the karakul lambs are historically referred to as ‘Persian lamb’ or ‘Broadtail’. This pelt is a lustrous coat of intricately patterned curls.They were legendary trade items on the ancient Silk Road of China, and were used extensively in Europe and later in the USA to tailor coats, jackets, waistcoats and hats. HISTORY The karakul is possibly the oldest breed of domesticated sheep.Archaeological evidence indicates the existence of Persian lambskins as early as 1400 B.C., and carvings of a distinct karakul type have been found in ancient Babylonian temples.Although known as the “fur sheep”, the karakul provided more than beautifully patterned, silky pelts.These sheep also were a source of milk, meat, tallow, and fibre.The wool of the adult karakul (a very strong fibre) was felted or spun into fabric for garments, footwear, carpets, and tents called yurts, among other uses.The karakul is native to Central Asia and is named after a village called Karakul.Karakul lies in the valley of the Amu Darja River in the former emirate of Buchara, West Turkestan, now Uzbekistan.It is situated at high altitude, with scant desert vegetation and a limited water supply. ANTI-FUR CAMPAIGN Pelts come from newborn lambs, which are slaughtered during the first two days after birth.During the golden era of the 1960s and ’70s, Namibia exported about five million pelts a year and karakul sheep were called ‘black diamonds,’ due to the karakul industry’s strong contribution to the economy.However, in the 1980s, animal rights organisations in Europe, the USA and Canada became very vocal against inhumane conditions and slaughtering methods.Killing karakul lambs virtually 48 hours after birth so that rich people could wear their pelts was seen as wrong.The same was argued for the fur industry, with furs coming from wild cats like tigers and leopards.Animal rights activists started spray-painting the fur coats and jackets of people in the streets and at important events like film galas.These worldwide anti-fur campaigns led to the collapse of fur industries in many countries, including Namibia.Karakul farmers could not sell their pelts anymore and this continued into the early 1990s.Herds were reduced and karakul sheep sold for mutton.Only 56 667 pelts were exported in 1997, the lowest figure ever.Only in the past five or six years has karakul pelt production increased again and furs have become fashionable once more.According to Agra, Namibia now produces approximately 140 000 pelts a year.These are sold under the brand label Swakara at the Copenhagen Fur Auction in Denmark twice a year.Agra manages a pelt-sorting centre in Windhoek, the only one in Africa, and is responsible for the collecting, sorting and marketing of Swakara pelts.Furs from South Africa are also sorted in Windhoek and sent together with Namibian furs to international auctions.There are 40 karakul breeders in Namibia and 16 karakul breeders in South Africa.Communal karakul farmers in southern Namibia are playing an increasingly important role, earning them an income in the arid area.Regular training courses in karakul sheep breeding and how to prepare the pelts for auctions are held for them.WOOL Agra handles approximately 400 000 kg karakul wool annually.The dark colours comprising the bulk at 95 per cent are exported to South Africa, while the lighter colours are sold on auction at the Pelt Centre in Windhoek twice a year.The lighter colours that are in demand at the auctions are white, fawn, brown, silver-grey and light grey.Agra also renders administrative services to the Karakul Board of Namibia.Karakul wool is used for carpet weaving and many Namibian karakul carpets can be spotted in the foyers of commercial banks, hotels and theatre houses across the world.Carpet weaving has become an important industry in Namibia. LATEST AUCTION Pelt prices experience ups and downs on international markets.The prices of Namibian karakul pelts auctioned in Denmark last month were 24 per cent lower than at the April auction.”The decline in price can mainly be attributed to the curl types and lower quality types of skin on offer.This tendency is also noticed amongst other types of fur, where buyers clearly distinguish between poor and good quality in terms of pricing,” added Hoffmann, who is the public relations officer at Agra.The warm winter in Europe and other fur-wearing countries also contributed towards fashion houses having higher stock levels and they are thus less prepared to purchase now at expensive prices, she added in a statement.