Goat farmers should capitalise on the resurgence of interest in knitting, as the country produced the best mohair in the world, a national goat conference was told in Alexandra on Tuesday.
Touch Yarns director Marnie Kelly told more than 30 people at the Federated Farmers goat section and Mohair New Zealand conference some of her newest and most popular yarns were blends that included mohair.
The Alexandra company turns New Zealand fibre into yarns and exports to 49 different countries around the world.
Its fibre is stocked by 75 retail outlets in this country as well as shops in Australia and Europe.
Ms Kelly started the business after breeding coloured sheep and goats for their fibre.
She designs the yarn blends and colours, inspired by her surroundings.
"So many people are picking up their knitting needles again and young people are getting interested, so we need to design things for them. We've got to keep the industry alive and keep people knitting ... we are the best producers of mohair in the world."
The three-day conference included tours of goat farms at Roxburgh and in the Maniototo.
It finished yesterday.
