Ahmad Shekib Popal, Gurudutta P. Japee
This paper intends to
provide a roadmap to facilitate the implementation of a key set of actions that
can help the Afghan Cashmere sector development in Afghanistan. This paper also
aims to increase private sector participation in overcoming the challenges
facing the cashmere sector in Afghanistan and mobilize available sources of
support from donor-funded projects, NGO (Non-Government Organizations) initiatives,
and GIRoA (Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan) organizations, to
provide a systematic, and coordinated approach to promote the Cashmere Sector
in Afghanistan.
The cashmere sector in
Afghanistan remains one of the country’s most valuable industries. There continue
to be significant opportunities to improve production processes and retain more
of the final value of this lucrative product within Afghanistan’s borders. Afghanistan is currently the third largest
producer of cashmere in the world after China and Mongolia and has made
considerable progress since the launch of the first cashmere in recent years. Key achievements since then include: (1) The
development of crossbreeding program across Afghanistan, most notably in Herat,
designed to improve the quality and international appeal of Afghan cashmere, (2)
the Development of the ‘Afghan Made’ cashmere trademark which will differentiate
the Afghan product in the world market, (3) Regular attendance at international
cashmere and fashion conferences by GOIRA and industry representatives with the
aim of raising the profile of Afghan cashmere and attracting international
investment, (4) Steps to establish a quality testing and certification facility
in Herat which will ensure that international quality standards are met,
thereby enhancing cashmere’s export prospects, and (5) Development of an indigenous
processing capacity with the establishment of two cashmere processing lines in
Herat and more in the pipeline.
The sector’s progress has
been impressive, but there is still much work to do, particularly mitigating the
influence of China on the Afghan sector.
The export of raw, unwashed cashmere to China is hampering efforts
elsewhere in the sector to improve quality and enhance Afghan cashmere’s
international reputation. To this end,
there is still much work to be done and five priority action areas have been
identified by the sector to be undertaken over the period in the future. These
are: (1) Ban the
export of greasy, unwashed raw cashmere, which will reduce the huge pull that
China currently exerts on the Afghan sector and, in turn, open other markets,
(2) Improve the quality and yield of Afghan cashmere by expanding the successful
crossbreeding program, (3) Improve education on the value of cashmere and the support to realize
it, by improving producers’ knowledge of harvesting techniques and routes to market
for raw cashmere, (4) Improve the perception
of Afghan cashmere in the global market through establishing quality
procedures, both in terms of testing and certification, and promotion of the
‘Afghan Made’ trademark, and (5) Build capacity in the spinning, weaving/knitting,
manufacturing, and finishing areas to capture more of the value-addition in the
upper stages of the value chain. This
should be seen as a longer-term aspiration that will extend beyond the lifetime
of the current action plan.
Situation analysis of the Afghan Cashmere
Sector, SWOT Analysis of the Sector, Suggestions, and key set of actions to
develop the Cashmere Sector in Afghanistan and Identifying requirements for the
implementation of the suggested priority actions.
VOL.15, ISSUE No.1, March 2023