Microchips to guard Peruvian alpacas

The alpaca with their high quality wool are the source of income for the poor Peruvian farmers. So many alpacas with high quality wool are slipping across the border that the genetic pool is being watered down and the wool produced in Peru is becoming less valuable. Authorities and alpaca experts say the most valuable animals have to stay in Peru and they fear that if nothing is done to prevent this, the world's largest alpaca industry could collapse. To counter the threat, Peruvian authorities have brought up-to-the-minute technology - microchips, which they are inserting into the ears of the finest alpacas to help keep track of their whereabouts. "The main problem is contraband and that is directly affecting the producers. This is why we need to put microchips in these animals and this should allow us to control the exit of these animals at the border, and identify those that are registered and not allowed to leave Peru," said Fabiola Munoz, the general secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture. However, it might be a challange to convince the individual farmers who live a hand-to-mouth existence, for them reality is very different.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4314237.stm (BBC News)