Major Push for Ladakh Pashmina: L-G Approves Incentives, ₹8 Crore Fund for Changpa Herders
He said the incentive programme and revolving fund together address both ends of the Pashmina value chain by supporting productivity among herders and ensuring assured procurement and prompt payments. The initiatives, he added, would help curb middlemen exploitation and position Ladakh as a leading producer of premium, ethically sourced and sustainably produced Pashmina
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved two major initiatives to strengthen Ladakh’s globally renowned Pashmina sector and improve the livelihoods of Changpa pastoral communities.
At the first meeting of the newly constituted Ladakh Pashmina Development Board, Saxena cleared the Livestock Development Incentive Programme, offering herders a 25 percent top-up incentive over the total procurement value of raw Pashmina. He also approved an ₹8 crore revolving fund for the All Changthang Pashmina Growers Cooperative Marketing Society Ltd. to procure raw Pashmina directly from nomadic herders and ensure quicker payments.
The measures aim to increase Pashmina goat numbers, improve fibre quality and production, strengthen cooperative procurement, prevent distress sales, and make traditional Changthangi goat rearing more profitable for younger generations.
Ladakh produces some of the world’s finest Pashmina from the indigenous Changthangi goat, reared by Changpa nomads in the high-altitude Changthang region. But rising input costs, harsh weather and unstable market returns have strained pastoral incomes and livestock productivity.
Under the incentive programme, eligible herders will receive the 25 percent support directly in Aadhaar-linked bank accounts through DBT. Of the incentive amount, 60 percent will be used for livestock improvement and scientific breeding, 20 percent for infrastructure such as improved combing equipment, and 20 percent for household needs.
The Board has also set targets to double Ladakh’s Pashmina goat population from nearly two lakh to at least four lakh within three years and raise raw Pashmina yield from about 200 grams to 350 grams per goat through scientific techniques and better tools.
The ₹8 crore revolving fund will be used exclusively for raw Pashmina procurement and timely payments. Cooperatives will now pay 50 percent of the cost upfront and the remaining amount within two months, replacing the earlier delay of eight to ten months that often forced herders to borrow money.
Saxena said the Changpa communities are custodians of one of Ladakh’s most valuable natural and cultural assets, and that the administration is committed to securing their livelihoods while preserving pastoral heritage.
He said the incentive programme and revolving fund together address both ends of the Pashmina value chain by supporting productivity among herders and ensuring assured procurement and prompt payments. The initiatives, he added, would help curb middlemen exploitation and position Ladakh as a leading producer of premium, ethically sourced and sustainably produced Pashmina.
The decisions followed consultations with herders, cooperative societies, designers, industry experts and other stakeholders across the Pashmina value chain.
