Selection vs Abortions

The shallow curl and watersilk types as known today, did not exits previously but occurred only as deviations from the original overgrown out-curl types. It was the manager of the Experimental Farm, Neudamm, Mr A D Thompson, who gave SWAKARA its unique characteristics. He realised from the very beginning that Namibian producers should concentrate on quality and not quantity to be in competition with other karakul producing countries. During his visit to the fur markets he noticed that better prices were paid for broadtail pelts and he, therefore, decided to try breeding a flat type of pelt instead of the traditional curl type.

Thompson also strived towards the production of a pelt that would be the ideal product in the processed form. He realised that curl development continues from the live, newborn lamb to the stretching frame and through processing of the pelt.

This decision was thus directly responsible for the fact that the most sought after karakul pelts produced in the world originates from Namibia.