During an event in Leh, Union Minister for Textiles Giriraj Singh presented Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd), with the Certificate of Geographical Indication (GI) Registration of Pashmina Wool of Ladakh.
He claimed that by GI tagging Ladakh’s Pashmina wool, Kashmiri traders who were marketing it as their own would be prevented from abusing it.
According to him, the “People of the region, particularly the Pashmina herders, will benefit from the GI tagging of Ladakh’s Pashmina wool, also known as Soft Gold, which the people of Kashmir have hitherto misused by promoting it as their own.”
He stressed the need of encouraging Pashmina and Merino sheep stall feeding by including women to increase their source of income, as well as the need of raising Pashmina wool output in Ladakh to guarantee higher revenue for Pashmina goat herders. He applauded the efforts being taken to lower the death rate of Pashmina goat offspring by the UT Administration, which is led by the Lieutenant Governor.
He proposed a number of measures, such as proposing to the Ministry to establish Pashmina breeding farms in Leh and Kargil, to stop inbreeding of sheep and conduct artificial insemination; to prepare a project on select breeding; to hold a competition among farmers on best practices and offer incentives to them; to test the nutrients in Pashmina goat milk in a lab; to have the Director of Animal and Sheep Husbandry visit the farms to gain firsthand experience with best practices; and to prepare feed pellets from stocked fodder, among other suggestions. He promised to help in every way he could in this regard.
Although Lt. Governor Brigadier (Dr.) BD Mishra (Retd. called the GI registration of UT Ladakh’s Pashmina wool historic, he also noted that the selling of products produced of inferior-quality and false Pashmina wool had left the authenticity and assurance of the top grade Pashmina wool lacking till recently. He asked for the Ministry’s assistance in developing and promoting Pashmina in Ladakh. He also emphasised the necessity of taking the lead in encouraging young people to participate in the age-old Pashmina goat herding culture.
