How did Nepal become a Cashmere Manufacturer?

Cashmere is the forgotten industry of Nepal, These talks are about a time ago when cashmere goats or chyangra goats in Nepal which were seen commonly, enabled most people to make their livelihood by breeding the chyangra goats or manufacturing cashmere garments this practice made Nepal the Cashmere manufacturing hub in front of the world, somehow the industry slowly faded away. The reason for this diminishing industry might be the sophistication of the crafting or the traditional aka classical techniques used to manufacture cashmere.

Today cashmere is not farmed in Nepal, mostly imported from China or Mongolia. More than 3 decades ago a small cashmere knitting and weaving industry flourished in Nepal. However, unprecedented growth in the Cashmere knitting and weaving industry resulted in Nepal again being synonymous with Cashmere.

Om Cashmeres, being one of the producers of cashmere , is helping these craftsmen urging back to the industry to rebuild their homes and earn daily bread by providing them structural employment from the remote areas for Nepal as their livelihood has been shaken by the 2015 earthquake, rather than just providing emergency aid. Om Cashmeres being a cashmere manufacturing unit of more than 2 decades has witnessed the Himalayan nation’s changing phases i.e the employment providing drive to cashmere craftsmen is not only for their benefit but we do think that this small step taken by us can inspire other cashmere manufacturers of Nepal and can help the nation to bring back the jobs, income to its people and other economic benefits.

What is Cashmere? Why Is It So Expensive?

Cashmere is a fabric that is synonymous with luxury; the softness; the insulation ability of the material makes it the most valuable fabric of the globe. Cashmere is a soft under layer of a goats’ coat. The growth of cashmere on the goat is superior when the air is chilly and winter is much harsher. Cashmere starts shedding from the goat’s body when the weather starts getting warm, cashmere wool producers then start combing out hair before it is spun and dyed in all sorts.

They say that the human hair is of 50–70 microns whereas the cashmere goat hair micron is best at 19 microns, same yarn is used by Om Cashmeres to manufacture our cashmere products. Since the cashmere is considered best when it is from the goat which has lived in harsh wintery weather, nowadays Mongolian cashmere goats are considered to be the most suitable best quality cashmere garment manufacturing because of the weather the goat lives in.

Coming to the next question that why cashmere is so expensive, we being the manufacturers would like to point out the fact that under normal circumstances a single cashmere goat provides 200g of wool in a year which is not even sufficient for a cardigan. Considering a year’s worth of fur from 2–3 goats is equal to a single garment of cashmere which undoubtedly has given the rise to the price of cashmere garments in the market.

Where does Nepal stand in the cashmere industry?

Cashmere is the most luxurious wool, which has been highly ranked by global fashion trends for its softness and warmth. Nepali cashmere market is renowned for its vogue offering of high-quality pashmina.

As per The Hindu Report; the cashmere sector has been volatile . The Cashmere of Nepal had peaked at $82 million in 2001. International Trade Corporation (ITC) has been working closely with the Nepal Ministry of commerce to restore the position of cashmere exports from Nepal.

Om Cashmeres being chayangra pashmina registered and recognized by ITC practices the best method of manufacturing cashmere while maintaining the quality standards effectively. Om Cashmeres is one of the producers selected by ITC in the cashmere sector to design and deliver interventions across the value chain to stimulate both export revenues and product and market diversification.

The enhancement and trade support by such international bodies can help Nepal to regain its cashmere market share, which will in turn be beneficial for Nepal’s economic growth.