The Plush Debate - A Conversation with Zheng Wenxin

Zheng Wenxin, male, Han nationality, born in February 1972, researcher, is currently a member of the party committee of Xinjiang Academy of Animal Husbandry, vice president, director of the Ministry of Agriculture, breeding sheep and wool and cashmere Quality Supervision and Inspection Center / Ministry of Agriculture, Director of the Laboratory of Product Quality and Safety Risk Assessment of Livestock and Poultry Products, member of the National Animal Husbandry Standardization Technical Committee, member of the State Commission on Standardization of the Fiber Spinning Technical Committee, member of the National Technical Committee on Physical Standards of the Fiber Spinning Group.

Reporter: Hello Director Zheng, I'm glad you can accept our interview. It is understood that in recent years on the cashmere should be called sheep fine wool or cashmere, the debate is endless. And Zheng director in the field of research for many years, then please talk about, about the concept of calling sheep fine wool or cashmere have any essential difference?

Zheng Wenxin: There are several ways to classify animal fibers. The first is divided into wool and fleece. Hair and fleece are two words, hair has the meaning and standard of hair, fleece has the meaning and standard of fleece. Things are very simple: what meets the meaning and standard of fleece should be called fleece, and what does not meet the meaning and standard of fleece should not be called fleece. Including Ordos and other large enterprises and a number of units to verify the domestic and foreign about the definition of the fleece, are that "the fleece refers to the double-layer wool structure of the bottom layer of fibers". Indeed, cashmere, camel's wool, yak down and other forms are above the hair, the bottom layer is down, even duck down, goose down, etc., also in line with such an expression, that is, above the feathers, the bottom layer is down. Many local breeds of sheep at home and abroad and many breeds of goats, camels, yaks live in similar environments, in order to adapt to the environment, especially hot in summer and cold in winter of this environment, after continuous evolution, gained the ability to adapt to this kind of, cold in winter when the fleece grows out of the summer heat when the fleece off. Cashmere is the fiber at the bottom of the double-layered hair coat structure, and there is no difference in natural form with other fibers classified as velvet, which should be called cashmere.

In addition, another way to classify hair categories is homogeneous versus heterogeneous hairs. Hair with the same or similar tuft structure is called homogeneous hair, and fine or semi-fine wool is homogeneous. Homogenous hairs are those that do not have such a structure as a double-layered coat. In the case of goat fleece, camel's fleece, yak's fleece, etc., the fleece is accompanied by coarse hairs, and because of the different structures and growth methods, a double-layered coat structure is formed, which is categorized as heterogeneous hair. The wool produced by local sheep breeds also belongs to heterogeneous wool, in which the cashmere is accompanied with coarse hair, totally different from fine wool produced by fine wool sheep and semi-fine wool sheep (homogeneous wool). Cashmere combing technology is the same as cashmere (like), but with fine wool processing technology is completely different.

The content of the classification is subject to continuous development, for example, at present there are several types of fleece, and certainly more than that in the future. Classification standards are basically fixed, that is, fine wool has the standards and meaning of fine wool, fleece has the meaning of fleece. Goat production of the double layer of wool structure of the bottom layer of fiber can be called cashmere, camel can be called camel hair, yak can be called yak velvet, I interject, velvet is not so mysterious - Northeast folk pig breeds in the characteristics of the pointed out that, "the winter growth of velvet hair"; national standards GB /T14628-93 "pig raw bristle" twice mentioned that there is down in the pig raw bristle. Even pigs can have fleece, poor sheep production is also clearly this structure of the fiber, some people are not allowed to call sheep fleece, based on what?

Reporter: Some years ago, in the cashmere industry, there is a view that the cashmere goat undoubtedly, but the sheep are not producing cashmere, for this view, Zheng, how does the director think?

Zheng Wenxin: that sheep do not produce wool, is simply a pseudo-proposition, is completely wrong. National mandatory standards "wool" (GB1523 1993) Chapter IV technical requirements, clearly stipulates that the wool of sheep in the improved wool "tufts of wool and two types of hair by the wool". In the two versions of "Xining Wool" (GB/T9998 1988) and (GB/T9998 2008), "bottom pile height" and "pile content" are both considered indicators for grading. These standards have existed for twenty years, and are still in force and even mandatory standards of the document has long been stipulated that sheep is wool production. Academician Mei Ziqiang, Professor Yan Haojing, Academician Yao Mu, Professor Qiu Guanxiong and other compilers of the "Textile Dictionary", as early as possible, it is also clearly written: wool includes "sheep, goats, camels, yaks," the production of fiber.

In fact, goat and sheep are neither the same animal nor the same word. Zoologically, sheep belong to the genus Ovis (Ovis) in the subfamily Caprovinae (sheep goats), with 27 chromosome pairs. Goats belong to the genus Capra in the subfamily Caprovinae (sheep goats), with a chromosome number of 30 pairs. The two can not even form hybrid offspring under natural circumstances. Foreign goats and sheep are different words, never confused. While China has "sheep" as a general term, but the specific products are crowned with goat, sheep distinction. Sheep meat, goat meat; sheep skin, goat skin; sheep intestines, goat intestines, etc. Livestock products, are not the actual existence of things in our lives? The form of similar, different qualities, domestic and foreign market prices are different, only need to crown with goat, sheep, and do not see confusion, right?

Ancient officials because of the name of the "light" the word, forced the people to light the lamp called fire, and since then left "only allowed officials to set fire to not allow the people to light the lamp," the joke. Those days are over. Appellations serve human life and can and must be enriched. As gold - before the emergence of gold plating technology, the name of gold will not be confused, and no need for 14K, 24K designation. When gold plating came out, the name gold was forced to refine, and 12, 18, and 24K all appeared. When the more expensive platinum and palladium appeared, gold had to be divided into gold, platinum, palladium. The original cashmere is not processed and utilized, "cashmere" this title will not cause misunderstanding, we were so used. But now cashmere has begun to utilize, and the amount is very large, in cashmere before adding a goat is not clear? At present, Ordos, King Deer, most of the well-known brands, such as Zhenbei, in the indication of their products raw materials have been squarely indicated is cashmere, and those who indicate that the raw material is "cashmere", is often trying to fish in troubled waters of the enterprise.

Inexpensive gold-plated did not hang a "gold", the real gold industry down, right? Gold also did not affect the more expensive platinum and palladium market development, right? The shape of the similar cheap artificial diamonds, appeared for decades, China also introduced a national standard of artificial diamonds, crowded out the market of natural diamonds? China is the world's first to carry out cashmere processing and utilization of the country, cashmere existence since 1986 has been 26 years, the processing volume of Hebei alone has developed to more than 20,000 tons, the number of early more than the amount of cashmere processing, but more than 20 years of China's cashmere industry did not fall. Those who think that "cashmere" a name will be the cashmere industry down people, although it is based on the idea of protecting the cashmere industry, the starting point is good. But according to this will not allow the development of cashmere, it is not right. And accordingly claim that sheep do not produce wool, is a complete violation of common sense.

The Standard and Inspection of Wool Fiber (Yao Mu, Maning, Lu Yang. Zhang Kecai, etc., 1997) proposed that "Gansu wool, Tibetan wool, Hebei wool, Shanxi wool, Henan wool, Zhejiang wool, Mongolian wool" in the existence of "bottom wool". Sheep Rearing", "Chinese sheep breeds" mentioned "Mongolia sheep, Kazakh sheep, Tibetan sheep, Uzhumuqin sheep, Bayinbruk sheep, Altay sheep, Guide black fur sheep, beach sheep, small-tailed cold sheep, Lanzhou big-tailed sheep", and Mao Huaizhi and other foreign breeds of "Romanov sheep, Derasdai sheep" and so on have this kind of down. "and other breeds have this fiber. These documents alone can be seen in at least 7 provinces and districts, 16 breeds exist this fiber. According to the survey of breed resources of the Ministry of Agriculture, the number of these domestic breeds amounts to about 60 million, accounting for 42.17% of the total number of existing sheep in the country, and the amount of existing resources is tens of thousands of tons. Our center began research in 2004, found that not only dozens of domestic local sheep breeds, and even from Central Asia, Mongolia and other countries in the local sheep production of wool have cashmere. From Kazakhstan alone, 5,000-10,000 tons of cashmere are imported into China every year. Hebei alone has 20,000 tons of processing each year, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are also many. Such a huge number, do not give a name, there is no standard to support its healthy development, will certainly cause greater confusion, the impact of cashmere market.

Reporter: It seems that sheep not only produce cashmere, and cashmere retention is still very huge. So what is the practical application of cashmere in the textile processing value, how about the future prospects?

Zheng Wenxin: Some people say that cashmere is counterfeit, no development value, which itself is a lack of scientific spirit of the pseudo-proposition. Those who claim that cashmere is worthless, is not to do experiments? What qualities of cashmere have been proved to be of no developmental value? In other words, if it were not for the fact that the quality of cashmere is close to that of cashmere, would it be used for adulteration? How come no one is adulterating cashmere with lower quality coarse wool that is cheaper and more profitable? If the quality of cashmere and cashmere close, why say cashmere has no development value? Cashmere because of its fineness, length, gloss, feel and other qualities that determine its textile processing value. Cashmere good to what extent, bad to what extent, not who said out, should speak with research, speak with data.

The Ministry of Agriculture has arranged the Ministry of Agriculture breeding sheep and wool cashmere quality inspection center and the National Animal Husbandry Station, Inner Mongolia Animal Husbandry Station, etc. together on the national local sheep breeds of fleece resources for research. 2011, 2012 has collected 43 varieties, all containing cashmere. Currently has completed testing 15 batches, the rest are testing research, the overall average fineness of 18-22 microns, inferior to cashmere, length and strength generally better than cashmere, feel significantly better than fine wool. But at present, mostly hand shearing, and there is no grading finishing, so we collect cashmere from sheep, fine, long, white are mixed together, to the textile enterprises, see the good not much more.

There is no child born to walk, but if it is gold, sooner or later will certainly shine. At present, some people think that the quality of cashmere is low, that is only because the community still do not understand, not with the right production technology to ensure the quality of cashmere, just because the pre-production, post-production is not connected, farmers and herdsmen do not understand the needs of textile enterprises, there is no cooperation in the development of this industry is not well developed. In fact, cashmere has a high textile processing value, and can be used to process cashmere and fine wool products of different styles.

China is the world's first batch of cashmere use of the country, in 1986, Hebei Donggao Group began to batch the use of processing, cashmere sweater in 1996 was approved by the State Economic and Trade Commission recognized as a national new product in 1996 by the World Congress of cashmere as a silver-medal product. And since then for many years, the textile industry has not stopped the research and development and utilization of cashmere (Yang Xiaojun, 1995; Liu Haiyuan, 1995; Zhang Linmei et al. 1997; Jia Zhihai et al. 1996; Wang Zhanhong et al. 1998; Yan Yizhong, 2006; Zhou Weizhong, 2006; Luo Yucheng et al. 2007;) and so on, these studies have affirmed the value of cashmere for textile processing. 2007 Hebei and Xinjiang have developed their own textile processing system, and the textile industry has also developed its own textile processing system. In 2007, Hebei and Xinjiang successively formulated their own local standards for "cashmere". At present, a dozen provinces and regions such as Hebei, Inner Mongolia, Jiangsu, etc. are processing and utilizing it, and a processing capacity of 20,000 tons has been formed in Qinghe County, Hebei alone.

Before 1955, China did not carry out a systematic breeding of cashmere goat, from 1955 Liaoning, an expert surnamed Xia found cashmere, reported to the Liaoning Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Department, and then reported to the Ministry of Agriculture, attracted attention to the Ministry of Agriculture, Liaoning Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau began to arrange for varieties of surveys, and on the basis of the development of breeding plans. After decades of efforts ultimately laid the foundation for today's China to become the world's largest cashmere producer. Sheep's fleece has never been bred before, and China is now the first country in the world to carry out sheep's fleece breeding: since 2004, our center has been researching, and in 2010, the Ministry of Agriculture set up a project to start investigating sheep resources in 43 places across the country. At present, we have found excellent individuals with very high breeding value with whiteness even up to 80, fineness 13-14 micron, and length above 120mm. Xinjiang Animal Husbandry Department and Science and Technology Department have formally set up a project to support us and started to carry out research work related to breeding, sheep dressing as well as mechanical shearing, grading and finishing in Altay region of Xinjiang, and the results have been achieved. The market position of cashmere is also determined by its quality. Similarly, the fineness, length, feel, whiteness, fluffiness and other qualities of cashmere has been destined to its must have a broad development prospects. Of course, if there are textile enterprises, agricultural and animal husbandry farms and other together to promote the development of the industry, will let the cashmere faster and better on a higher stage of history.

If a person is born called a thief, then the fault is certainly not in this person. Cashmere posing as cashmere is wrong, but cashmere to develop their own, not posing as other fibers, said cashmere is counterfeiting, it is too much. China's own resources may be 60,000 tons of cashmere, the number is so large, if there is no one export, will certainly be forced to impact on cashmere. The development of standards, which is conducive to the standardization and development of cashmere industry. The national standard "cashmere" approved by the National Standards Committee and the Ministry of Agriculture has long been the official project, after three years has completed the development, I believe that in the near future, will be officially released.