Under the Pashmina Promotion Programme (P3) introduced in Ladakh region about two years ago, the average pashmina yield (animal productivity) has increased by 9.3 per cent and resulting in higher profitability to herders engaged in Pashmina goat rearing, Union Textile Minister Santosh Gangwar said during a visit to the region.

Mortality of livestock has come down and critical rural infrastructure has been created under the P3 scheme in remote border areas inhabited by nomadic tribes leading to higher returns from Pashmina thereby improving the socio-economic status of Pashmina breeders, he said.

During his visit, Gangwar also dedicated five Solarised Community Centres and 100 shelter homes for the welfare of nomadic wool-growers involved in Pashmina sheep rearing, in Korzok in Ladakh’s Changthang region on Friday.

In an interaction with the nomadic wool growers of Changthang, for whom sheep rearing and Pashmina wool is the main source of income, Gangwar said the Ministry of Textile has ensured the release of funds for their development and providing assistance such providing feed, medicine and other assistance to the breeders.

“Understanding the issues and hurdles faced by the nomads of Changthang, for whom sheep rearing and Pashmina wool is the main source of income, Ministry of Textile has ensured release of funds for the development and benefits of the nomads including shelters home, de-hairing plant along with providing feed, medicine and other assistance to the breeders,” Gangwar wrote on Facebook.

The Ministry of Textiles is implementing Pashmina Wool Development Scheme (PWDS) and Pashmina Promotion Programme (P3) with the help of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh and the programme has been expanded with enhanced financial assistance, he noted.

“Under P-3, major provision has been made for establishment of latest technology imported Pashmina dehairing plant at Leh including other machineries like scouring, drying, and boiler along with construction of building for installation of these machineries at Leh,” he wrote on another Facebook post.

Pashmina, internationally known as "Cashmere" a fine luxury fibre is produced from Changthang goats bred in the Ladakh region of India. The finest Pashmina wool which has high global demand, comes from this region. It produces about 45 ton of Pashmina wool every year from a population of about 2.50 lakh Pashmina goats.

Thus, pashmina producing goats are of great importance for revitalizing the economy of the Changthang and Leh district of Ladakh which produces more than 80 percent of the total Pashmina yield of the country.