Pashmina Exporters Feel Warm

From New Business Age, July 2008

Nepal exported Pashmina worth Rs. 1.4 billion till mid-May of this fiscal year recording a 40 percent growth over the figure of the entire last year, according to the industry sources.

This has increased the hope that the total export of Pashmina by the end of the current fiscal year (mid-July) will record a 50 percent growth as the export figure for the remaining two months is estimated to be over Rs. 100 million, said Durga Thapa, General Secretary of Nepal Pashmina Industry Association.

"With the ongoing peace process, the importers are getting confident of timely delivery of their orders. This is one of the reasons for increase in export of Pashmina," said Thapa.

According to him, the export product mix has also undergone some changes. In the past, the major export item used to be Pashmina shawls whereas this year the share of Pashmina sweaters in the total export has increased substantially, according to him. The demand for Nepali Pashmina sweaters is particularly high in Germany and England.

Meanwhile, also the quality of Nepali Pashmina has improved, he says .