Caprana, Angora link

Press, 21 February 1987, Page 25

Caprana, Angora link

PA Wellington Publicly listed Caprana Corporation, of Hawkes Bay, and Angora Corporation, of Dunedin, have linked to farm angora goats in Australia and develop world markets for their live stock and embryos, the directors have announced. The joint arrangement is based on farming and technological developments previously undertaken by Angora Corp in Tasmania and incorporates high quality purebred goats owned by Caprana Corporation. The venture will be run by Mr lan Hurst, general manager of Angora Corporation.

Mr Richard Macdonald, a director of Caprana and president of the Mohair Producers Association will concentrate on marketing. He has just returned from surveying opportunities for the sale in France and England of live animals and embryos from Australia and New Zealand; Mr Macdonald said he ' was enthusiastic about the openings available as the industry throughout Europe was short of good quality angora stock and there was considerable interest from existing farmers about diversifying into goats, using skills and technologies developed in Australia and New Zealand.

Angora and Caprana will start their joint farming programme in Tasmania immediately by extracting and freezing embryos for sale in England and other areas. . The venture has contracted with an experienced Australian embryologist for undertaking the freezing, thawing and implantation of the embryos. Directors say that they are confident about the success of the venture and want to lead the move towards global goat farming developments using their position in the New Zealand goat industry.

Dunedin-based Wilson Neill, Ltd, has a substantial interest in Angora Corporation.