Which farm animal is the source of the famous “cashmere” fiber?

The famous cashmere fiber comes from the fine undercoat of the cashmere goat.

Cashmere is a luxury animal fiber collected from certain goats, especially populations raised in regions of China, Mongolia, Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia. The fiber comes from the soft undercoat that helps goats survive cold winters, not from the goat’s coarse outer hairs.

Producers usually comb or shear the undercoat during the seasonal moulting period. The fine fibers are then separated from guard hairs, cleaned, spun, and woven or knitted. Cashmere is prized for its softness, warmth, and light weight, but each goat produces only a limited amount of usable fiber.

Cashmere is often confused with mohair. Mohair comes from the Angora goat and is produced from that goat’s longer, lustrous coat. Merino wool comes from a sheep breed, while alpaca fiber comes from alpacas. These fibers differ in animal source, structure, and typical texture.