Angora goats are farmed commercially for their mohair fleece.

Mohair is a soft, lustrous and hard-wearing fibre with excellent dyeing properties that can be spun into yarn for use in garments and luxury textiles.

It should not be confused with angora wool, which is produced from the coat of rabbits.

Mohair is graded by type (Kid, Young Goat and Adult), then by length, and style.

Contamination, by hay, straw, seed or stained, downgrades the value of the fleece to purchasers.

Correct shearing is important so that very short fibres are avoided and the fleece length is as uniform as possible.

The fleeces of different types should be packed separately, and stored so as to avoid contamination by damp and vermin.