Mustang farmers secure market for mountain goat undercoat to boost pashmina trade

MUSTANG: Farmers in Phalyak area of Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality-5, Mustang district, have started earning additional income following the establishment of a market for mountain goat undercoat. The undercoat, which was previously discarded, has now found buyers, offering farmers a supplementary source of revenue.

Nepal Fibre Processing, operated by Nepal Pashmina Industries Association (NPIA) in Kathmandu, has secured the market for mountain goat undercoat produced by farmers in Phalyak, Mustang, and Chharka in Dolpa district. April-May is the season for extracting undercoat from mountain goats. The undercoat is considered class A raw material for pashmina, a major export item from Nepal.

According to NPIA President Dhan Prasad Lamichane, mountain goat undercoat is superior in quality compared to sheep wool and yak undercoat. Samples collected from Mustang were sent to a laboratory in Mongolia for testing, confirming its suitability for pashmina.

Farmers in Phalyak had previously not extracted wool due to market uncertainty, a lack of free time, and a shortage of skilled labour. "It used to shed from their bodies and go to waste," said Raju Gurung, a farmer from Phalyak. "Since pashmina entrepreneurs have secured a market and arranged skilled manpower to extract mountain goat undercoat, we have started extracting undercoat."

According to Surendra Gurung, ward chairperson of Varagung Muktichhetra Rural Municipality-5, out of approximately 50 households residing in Phalyak village, 19 households operate commercial mountain goat farms, while others rear small numbers of animals.

Livestock health technician Samiksha Kadayat stated that Phalyak is home to approximately 5,000 mountain goats. This year, several hundred kilograms of mountain goat undercoat are estimated to be collected, with pashmina industrialists purchasing it at a rate of Rs 4,500 per kg.

Farmers from Mustang and Dolpa sold 3,000 kg of undercoat in 2022, 2,000 kg in 2023, and 2,200 kg in 2024. Nepal Fibre Processing has set up a mountain goat undercoat collection centre in Lomanthang and a processing centre in Kathmandu.

Tourists visiting Thamel, Bhaktapur, Patan, Sauraha, Pokhara, Nagarkot, and other destinations purchase pashmina worth Rs 1.5 billion annually. Nepal exports pashmina worth Rs 6 billion each year, while importing yarn worth Rs 5 billion (equivalent to 400 tonnes) for its production.

The International Trade Centre (ITC), in coordination with NPIA and local livestock service branches, has initiated training for farmers to ensure sustainability in mountain goat undercoat production. Programmes include dipping mountain goats in a tank before hair extraction to protect against parasites and improve quality.

ITC consultant Sichan Shrestha stated that technical training efforts will continue, as international laboratory tests have confirmed Mustang mountain goat undercoat as suitable and high-quality for pashmina.

According to Lalmani Aryal, chief of the Veterinary Hospital and Livestock Service Expert Centre Mustang, of the 52,000 mountain goats reared in Mustang district, only around 30% have their undercoat extracted.

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