Record prices for Swakara pelts

AT an auction held in Copenhagen at the end of March, Swakara karakul pelt prices went up by 68 per cent compared to the September 2005 auction, with the average price obtained increasing to N$404 from N$255.

According to Agra, this is the highest average price ever obtained. Agra’s manager of the Swakara Pelt Centre, Wessel Visser, said: “The highest price ever achieved amounted to N$643 (approximate) per pelt, for 72 Swakara Black D Selected Super pelts.During the September 2005 auction the highest price obtained amounted to N$506.”The total number of pelts on offer during this auction amounted to 56 672 (excluding white pelts), earning about N$23 million of foreign exchange for Namibia.The largest number of pelts was purchased by a well-known fur broker from Hong Kong on behalf of several international fashion houses.The Swakara pelts were sold under the new quality labelling system, ‘The Purple Club’ developed by Copenhagen Fur – the world’s largest fur auction house – for the first time.Agra’s manager of the Swakara Pelt Centre, Wessel Visser, said: “The highest price ever achieved amounted to N$643 (approximate) per pelt, for 72 Swakara Black D Selected Super pelts.During the September 2005 auction the highest price obtained amounted to N$506.”The total number of pelts on offer during this auction amounted to 56 672 (excluding white pelts), earning about N$23 million of foreign exchange for Namibia.The largest number of pelts was purchased by a well-known fur broker from Hong Kong on behalf of several international fashion houses.The Swakara pelts were sold under the new quality labelling system, ‘The Purple Club’ developed by Copenhagen Fur – the world’s largest fur auction house – for the first time.