What Are the Prospects for Mink Farming? Market Conditions and Profitability Analysis
The mink is a small, valuable fur-bearing animal of the order Carnivora, family Mustelidae, genus Mustela. Its fur has many advantages, including straight, resilient guard hairs, a lustrous and splendid appearance, thick underfur, strong warmth retention, a thin and light pelt, and a soft, tough texture, which makes it the leading product among fine-hair and short-hair fur types. Mink fur, fox fur and lambskin have become the three pillar products of the international fur trade. The global trade volume of mink fur has already reached more than 50 million pelts per year. China's mink farming industry began in the 1950s, and by the mid-1980s it had developed to a scale of 5 million pelts exported annually. After entering the 1990s, precious furs such as mink fur shifted from unified foreign trade export to liberalized operation and sales on the domestic market, which further stimulated the development of China's mink farming industry. At present, China's mink farming industry is facing good development opportunities and prospects.
Price Prospects for Mink Fur
1. Mink fur is one of the main products on the international precious fur market.
From the history of the international fur trade, mink fur has always been one of the pillar products, and the farming of precious fur-bearing animals at home and abroad is bound to form a situation and pattern dominated by mink.
2. The market prospects for mink fur are better than those for large-hair fur products such as fox and raccoon dog.
From the perspective of the quality and value of mink fur, its utilization rate is also higher than that of large-hair fur such as fox and raccoon dog fur, and especially the domestic market potential is very large. Mink fur is famous for its short, even fur and its glossy, luxurious appearance, and it is a major raw material pelt for making garments, collars, hats, cuffs and trim, with wide use and large demand. As for large-hair fur such as fox and raccoon dog fur, because the hair is coarser and longer than that of mink fur and less splendid than mink fur, it is not suitable for making coats in the domestic market, but only suitable for making accessories such as collars, cuffs and wraps, so its utilization rate is lower than that of mink fur. It can thus be seen that the development prospects of fine-hair and short-hair fur animals, mainly mink, are better than those of large-hair fur animals such as fox and raccoon dog.
3. The market price of mink fur is stable and rising steadily.
The market order for mink fur is good, and market conditions have always been more stable than those for fox and raccoon dog, and in recent years they have shown a trend of steady increase. The rule of high quality commanding a high price reflected in the mink fur market has pushed the price of colored mink fur up substantially, and has also created an opportunity for mink farmers to accelerate the improvement of population breeds, produce high-quality fur that is well suited to the market, and improve economic returns.
Mink By-products
Mink by-products mainly refer to mink heart, mink penis, mink oil, mink meat, internal organs and mink manure.
1. Mink heart. It has very high medicinal value. The pharmaceutical factory of the Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences uses mink heart as the main raw material and, in combination with other Chinese herbal medicines, produces "Lixin Wan", which has a good therapeutic effect on rheumatic heart disease.
2. Mink penis. Medicinal liquor made from the testicles and penis of the mink (mink penis), or used in combination with other Chinese herbal medicines, has effects such as nourishing and strengthening yang.
3. Mink oil. Mink oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, and it has now become a raw material for making high-grade cosmetics and soap, and it also has good effects in the treatment and prevention of skin diseases.
4. Mink meat. Mink meat is tender and nutritious, with a protein content of about 18% (fresh meat), and it is a game delicacy with a unique flavor. In addition, mink meat can be used as feed for fur-bearing animals such as fox and raccoon dog.
5. Mink manure. Mink manure is a high-quality organic fertilizer for crops. Moreover, after treatment, mink manure can be used as pig feed.