In early spring 2008 mid-side cashmere samples were taken from 719 cashmere adult females, and 41 cashmere adult males and castrates. Samples came from 53 villages and a total of 156 farmers’ flocks. For 91 goats from 33 farmers in 13 villages of two districts that had been sampled earlier, cashmere was combed from the goat at the time of a second visit

(end of April 2008) when the cashmere would normally be harvested. RWJ 64809 Following standard cashmere objective measurement, data were examined using general linear modelling to quantify the effects of potential determinants. The mean fibre diameter (MFD) of cash-mere differed between provinces (Osh 15.7 mu m, Naryn 16.7 mu m; P = 4.4 x 10(-20)). About 42% of the cashmere was <16 mu m, 48% was 16.0-18.0 mu m and 9.5% was >18.0 mu m. Most of the cashmere samples were Coloured (81%), with 63% black and 19% white. The percentage of cashmere samples that were white declined as MFD

increased (26% < 14 mu m to 11% of > 18 mu m). The primary determinants of cashmere MFD of individual goats were age of goat (range 1.46 mu m, P Baf-A1 = 1.8 x 10(-12)) and farm (range 6.5 mu m, P = 1.7 x 10(-14)). The lesser effects detected for sex (range 0.9 mu m, P = 0.026) and colour of cashmere (range 1.8 mu m, P = 0.023) were based on small sample sizes and are unreliable. Age of goat had important affects on fibre diameter variation (up to 1.7% in coefficient of variation, P = 5.8 x 10(-6)) and fibre curvature (2.5-5 degrees/mm, P = 2.1 X 10(-4)). By far the greatest effect on fibre curvature was cash-mere MFD (P = 3.0 x 10(-104)) with a smaller effect of sex (about 5 degrees/mm. P = 3.0 x 10(-6)). Village effects were detected on fibre diameter variability GDC-0068 (range 4.5% in coefficient of variation, P = 0.027) and fibre curvature (range 15 degrees/mm, P = 1.6 x 10(-7)). There was a strong negative association between increasing MFD and declining fibre curvature (-5.11 +/- 0.181 degrees/mm per 1 mu m; P = 7.1 X 10(-121); r(2) = 0.51). Average combed cashmere weight was 164 g, the clean cashmere

content was 0.661 and median clean cashmere production was 110 g per goat (range 60-351 g). Combed cashmere production increased with altitude of the village, probably related to different moulting times as spring temperatures warmed up later in higher altitude villages up to 3200 masl. Measurements of combed cashmere MFD were coarser than the mid-side samples taken earlier in the year. There are farmers and cashmere goats in the sampled districts of Kyrgyzstan which produce the finest qualities of commercial cashmere as the vast majority of cashmere is fine. has low variation in fibre diameter and has fibre crimping (curvature) typical Of Chinese and Mongolian cashmere. There is substantial scope to increase the production and commercial value of cashmere produced by Kyrgyz goats.