To get better prices, Himachal's Gaddi shepherds seek wool grading

Gaddi shepherds have asked the state government to direct the Himachal Pradesh State Wool Federation to grade their wool so that they could get better prices for their produce.

In a letter to the government, Ghamantu Pashupalak Sabha president Akshay Jasrotia said that the federation was selling raw or ungraded wool and shepherds were not getting benefits. “Shepherds are not getting more than Rs 40 per kg for their produce in the market and after buying raw wool the federation, too, is unable to get a price higher than the shepherds. However, if the wool procured by the federation is graded, it can fetch much higher prices,” he added.

Jasrotia said that the wool federation had the infrastructure to wash the procured produce but it was lying unutilised. Washed wool, free from grease, can fetch better price in market, he said.

The federation officials, on the condition of anonymity, said generally, the wool produced in Himachal is mixed with other wools by manufacturing units. “The proportion of Himachal wool in a woollen garment is 15 per cent. In case we grade the wool, a large portion of it will remain unsold. Besides, washing is not being carried out as the manufacturers prefer to do it their own way,” they said.

Despite repeated attempts, Wool Federation General Manager Deepak Saini was not available for comments. He also did not respond to WhatsApp messages.

The state Shepherd Association, however, claims that wool produced by Gaddi shepherds of Himachal was organic and its potential was unrealised. The organic wool was fetching a price of about Rs 70 to 90 per kg. A Ghamantu Pashupalak Sabha office-bearer said they had limited resources but were still able to get organic wool certification for the wool produced in some areas of Kangra. The government could get the entire wool produced by Gaddi shepherds of the state certified as organic, which would them give good returns.

According to sources, about 5 lakh kg of wool is produced in Himachal and the state federation procures about 1 lakh kg of it. The remaining wool is bought at throwaway prices by traders from other states directly from shepherds.

The sources said that the state government had failed to take the benefit of various projects being offered by the Wool Federation of India for creating better infrastructure for processing wool so that it could fetch better prices in the market.