Mohair

, including the Real County community of Camp Wood. Shearing is done twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. One goat will produce of mohair a year. Shearing is done on a cleanly-swept floor and extra care is taken to keep the hair clean and free of debris. The hair is then processed to remove natural grease, dirt and vegetable matter. Mohair grows in uniform locks. The Angora goat is a single-coat breed, and unlike pygora or cashmere, there is no need to dehair a mohair fleece to separate the coarse hair from the down hair. South Africa is the world's largest mohair producer as of 2013, supplying around 50% of the total world production, yet as of 2024 some people believe that majority production has moved to Lesotho. However, the latter statement is controversial and requires proper scrutiny. Due to animal cruelty in the South African farms, Zara, H&M, Gap, Topshop, Lacoste, and many clothing retailers will no longer sell mohair clothing. ==History==

Mohair is one of the oldest textile fibers in use, produced exclusively in Turkey. Fabric made of mohair was known in England by the early 18th century. a type of haircloth, literally "choice", from khayyara, "he chose". In about 1820, raw mohair was first exported from Turkey to England, which then became the leading manufacturer of mohair products. The Yorkshire mills spun yarn that was exported to Russia, Germany, Austria, apart from being woven directly in Yorkshire. Similar suits were worn by mod revivalists, skinheads, and fans of ska punk and two tone music during the early to mid-1980s. Today, South Africa is the largest mohair producer in the world, with the majority of South African mohair being produced in the Eastern Cape. The United States is the second-largest producer, with the majority of American mohair being produced in Texas. Turkey also produces good-quality mohair. Because the goats are sheared once a year (different from South Africa), Turkey produces the longest mohair of the world. In December 2006, the General Assembly of the United Nations proclaimed 2009 to be the International Year of Natural Fibres, so as to raise the profile of mohair and other natural fibers. ==Uses==

teddy bear made using mohair Mohair is used in scarves, winter hats, suits, sweaters, coats, socks and home furnishing. Mohair fiber is also found in carpets, wall fabrics, craft yarns, and many other fabrics, and may be used as a substitute for fur. Because its texture resembles fine human hair, mohair is often used in making high-grade doll wigs or in rooting customized dolls. Mohair is a very soft yarn when compared with other natural and synthetic fibers. Due to mohair's lacking prominent, protruding scales along the hair's surface, it is often blended with wool or alpaca. Blending the heavily scaled wool helps the smooth mohair fibers hold their shape and stick together when spun into yarn. Mohair is also valued for certain other unique characteristics: it is warmer than other fibers, even when used to make a light-weight garment, and is often blended with wool for this reason; and mohair fibers have a distinctive luster created by the way they reflect light. Combined with mohair's ability to absorb dyes exceptionally well, pure mohair yarns are usually recognizable for their vivid, saturated colours. Fibers from young goats are softest and are used to manufacture yarn for clothing. Fibers from mature goats are used to produce such things as rugs and carpets. Mohair is also used in 'climbing skins' for randonnée skiing and ski touring. The mohair used in a carpet allows the skier an appropriate ascension method without sliding downhill. ==Mohair industry worldwide==

As of 2009, world output of mohair was estimated at around 5,000 tonnes a year, down from a high of 25,000 tonnes in the 1990s. South Africa accounts for 60% of total production. South African mohair is generally exported raw or semi-processed to textile makers in Europe, the UK and the Far East. ==US subsidies for mohair production==

During World War II, US soldiers wore uniforms made of wool. Worried that domestic producers could not supply enough for future wars, Congress enacted loan and price support programs for wool and mohair in the National Wool Act of 1954 as part of the 1954 Farm Bill. Despite these subsidies, wool and mohair production declined. The strategic importance declined as well; the US military adopted uniforms made of synthetic fibers, such as dacron, and officially removed wool from the list of strategic materials in 1960. Nevertheless, the U.S. government continued to provide subsidies to mohair producers until 1995, when the subsidies were "eliminated effective with the marketing year ending December 31, 1995". Fareed Zakaria points out that the subsidies were reinstated a few years later, due in large part to the lobbying on behalf of the special interests of the subsidy recipients. By 2000, Congress had appropriated US$20 million for goat and sheep producers. As of 2002, mohair producers were still able to receive special assistance loans from the U.S. government, after an amendment to eliminate the subsidy was defeated. The U.S. currently subsidizes mohair production under the Marketing Assistance Loan Program of the 2014 Farm Act. == In popular culture ==

In the Elton John song "Bennie and the Jets," Bennie is said to wear a suit made of mohair. In the Song "The Boy from New York City," first recorded by The Ad Libs, and made popular by The Manhattan Transfer, the lines "And he's cute In his mohair suit" appear. In the Tom Waits song "Jockey Full of Bourbon", the jockey claims to have, "two pair of pants and a mohair vest." In the Seinfeld episode "The Sniffing Accountant", Jerry's mohair sweater figures prominently in the plot. ==See also==