Goats produce finer fibres, with less lanolin or grease, than sheep. Angora and Cashmere goats are combed or sheared, then yarn is spun and woven into fine fabrics like cashmere and mohair. These are luxury fabrics as goat farming is usually on a smaller scale than sheep farming.
There are other issues associated with goat farming in the Himalayas and Mongolia, as overgrazing, coupled with climate change, is leading to deforestation and desertification in many areas.
See the video “A Cashmere Story” for an explanation of the problems of cashmere goat farming.
There are commercial goat farms in Europe, America, Australia and New Zealand that provide more sustainable production methods.
