Down prices have been on an upward trend for several years. The demand for down, especially goose down, increases year over year while the supply lags behind. In several countries, the demand for luxury products, such as down jackets and down comforters, has increased.
The prices for goose down have risen by more than 30% over the past 6 months, and those for duck down by more than 20%. "Looking at a period of 5 years, goose down has even become more than 50% more expensive," reports Ducky Dons, a Dutch producer of down pillows and comforters.
85-90% of the down comes from ducks, and the rest is from geese. China is by far the largest producer of down and feathers in the world, responsible for 61% of all ducks worldwide. This is not surprising, given that duck is an important part of the Chinese diet. For goose down, China has even a market share of over 90% according to sources. Therefore, down prices in China are leading for global market prices.
"It is not expected that down prices will fall this year. The supply of raw materials will lag behind demand. Further upward pressure on raw material prices is also not excluded. When the balance between supply and demand will restore is difficult to predict."
More information:
Ducky Dons
[email protected]
www.duckydons.nl