By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Sept 14: The export of woolen pashmina, country's one of a major exportable products, has been declining continuously for the last three years.
The pashmina export fell significantly over the years even though the efforts of government and the private sector to register its trademark ‘chyangra pashmina’ in the international market for its branding.
The export has decreased by 16.1 per cent in the last fiscal year 2018/19 compared to previous fiscal year of 2017/18.
The country exported pashmina worth around of Rs. 1.90 billion during the last fiscal year while it was Rs. 2.27 billion in the previous fiscal year, according to the annual trade report of Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC).
The country exported pashmina worth Rs. 2.44 billion in the fiscal year 2016/17 and Rs. 2.88 billion in the fiscal year 2015/16.
With joint efforts of the government and Nepal Pashmina Industries Association (NPIA), Chyangra Pashmina trademark has been registered in 47 countries, including 27 in the European Union with the view to promote Nepali pashmina in the international market.
The trademark was registered at major buyer countries including Norway, Switzerland, America, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, India and China.
Durga Bikram Thapa, president of NPIA, said that the export of pashmina could not rise even after the registration of the trademark owing to the lack of marketing of trademark in the international market and trademark registered countries.
The massive decline in the export of the Nepalese pashmina products has been attributed to critical lack of promotion drive as well as competition challenges after the entry of rival products from China and India in the international market, he said.
“The high cost of production and low incentive provided by the government of Nepal compared to the competing countries are also affected the export,” he told The Rising Nepal.
The export of Nepalese pashmina had dropped by almost 80 per cent over one and a half decade.
Nepal’s annual pashmina export stood worth over Rs. 10 billion during the period of 1999/2000 where the exchange rate of a US dollar stood at Rs. 62 to Rs. 65.
"We are unable to marketing trade mark even in the trade mark registered countries. Promotion of the trade market is a must to win the confidence of the international ensuring the quality of Nepali pashmina," he told The Rising Nepal.
The decrease of export is a challenge the pashmina industry though the government put pashmina in Nepal Trade Integration Strategy for boosting its export by promoting it the international market, he said.