While I do not usually like to get my research done from Google, I think I did find enough information to answer my own question about China's involvement in Angora production. Seems that China got involved around 1976.... the promise of making a lot of money was the driving factor.....and they have quickly become the major producer of this fiber, which they sell all over Europe, Asia, etc.
How utterly unfortunate.....I can not with a clear conscience, do anything to promote the production of anything that savages animals like the Chinese do. From what I gathered with a quick read, the Chinese have flooded the market with the wool, and the price and quality of the fiber has diminished substantially......I am confident when it no longer becomes profitable for them to produce the wool, they will abandon this venture. I will no longer support the production of Angora fiber from rabbits raised in China....this is totally unacceptable to me. Perhaps if the demand drops off enough, the countries that buy all their Angora fiber from China will cease and desist and return to raising their own rabbits for Angora......if they dont, well, I have a couple of sweaters made from Angora from New Zealand, and England.....they will have to do. |