Chyangra fibre de-dusting plant established in Lomanthang

Lomanthang, Mustang, June 16: A modern Chyangra fibre de-dusting plant has been established in Lomanthang of Mustang district to support the collection of quality fibre from the local level for Chyangra Pashmina.

The British Ambassador to Nepal, Rob Fenn, Lomanthang rural municipality chairperson Tashi Nhurbu Gurung and vice chair Chhyumi Bista jointly inaugurated the plant today in Lomanthang.

Famed for its unique quality, Nepal’s hand-woven Pashmina embodies the country’s culture and heritage and is highly coveted in international markets. Established by the Nepal Pashmina Industries Association (NPIA) with support from the United Kingdom Trade Partnership Programme Nepal (UKTP-Nepal) and International Trade Centre, the plant will be instrumental in strengthening the supply of high-quality Chyangra fiber for the production and export of Nepal’s Pashmina, it is said.

During the inauguration, ambassador Fenn expressed happiness to help build Nepal’s Chyangra brand from farm to fashion. “The UK is already involved “downstream”, accompanying Nepali Chyangra entrepreneurs to London Source Fashion Week. Now I have come “upstream” – the Kaligandaki, to be precise – to meet farmers in Upper Mustang. I can now tell the story of the whole value chain.

And – alongside the inherent quality of “cent percent Chyangra” – it’s the extraordinary stories that can be woven around anything “Made in Nepal” that give Nepali exports an edge, especially in UK markets,” he said.

Local representative Gurung expressed the local government’s commitment to promoting Chyangra production and fiber harvesting to create employment opportunities and increase income for locals, especially youth and women. He voiced readiness to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to further this goal.

Dhan Prasad Lamichhane, President of the Nepal Pashmina Industries Association (NPIA), who was also present on the occasion, said that Pashmina entrepreneurs are striving to integrate local Chyangra farmers into the Pashmina value chain, offering them better prices and markets. He also expressed the association’s keen interest in collaborating with the Nepal government as well as development partners, including UKTP, the International Trade Centre, to strengthen the Pashmina value chain by establishing robust backward and forward linkages.

The Nepal government has identified Chyangra Pashmina as one of Nepal’s high-potential export products. Last year, the Nepalese government launched the Nepal Pashmina Sector Export National Strategy 2022-2026, aiming to increase Pashmina exports to USD 75 million by 2026. Recently, the government also released the Pashmina Export Facilitation Guide, targeting SMEs involved in Pashmina export.