LG Saxena says Rs 1.10-crore production incentive and Rs 8-crore revolving fund will strengthen Ladakh’s Pashmina value chain and ensure timely payments to nomadic growers
LEH: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena on Sunday said the administration’s 25 per cent production-based incentive for Pashmina growers, coupled with an ₹8-crore revolving fund for timely payments, would strengthen the Pashmina value chain and improve the economic returns of nomadic pastoral communities.
Saxena made the remarks while disbursing ₹1.10 crore through Direct Benefit Transfer to more than 1,200 nomadic Pashmina herders at Korzok during the Changthang Nomadic Festival 2026. The production-based incentive was introduced following the first meeting of the Ladakh Pashmina Development Board on July 5.
The Lieutenant Governor said the incentive had already contributed to higher raw Pashmina collection, which reached 19 metric tonnes by July this year against 16 metric tonnes during the entire year in 2025.
The beneficiaries, largely from Samad, Kharnak and Korzok, received the incentive through DBT. Samad accounted for around ₹44 lakh, followed by Kharnak with ₹28 lakh and Korzok with ₹23 lakh.
Saxena said 60 per cent of the incentive would be reinvested in scientific breeding of Pashmina goats, while 20 per cent would be utilised for modern combing equipment and basic infrastructure. The remaining 20 per cent could be used by beneficiaries for household and personal requirements.
He also announced that an ₹8-crore revolving fund had been provided to the All Changthang Pashmina Growers Marketing Cooperative Society, which operates the Pashmina dehairing plant in Leh, to facilitate timely payments to growers.
Under the new arrangement, 50 per cent of the cost of Pashmina would be paid to producers immediately, with the remaining amount to be released within two months. The measure is intended to address payment delays that had previously extended to eight to 10 months.
Saxena urged Pashmina growers to adopt scientific breeding and production practices, setting a target of increasing average fibre production from the present 200 grams per goat to at least 350 grams. He also called for increasing the Pashmina goat population from around two lakh to four lakh within three years through scientific breeding.
The Lieutenant Governor stressed the need to improve the cleanliness and quality of raw Pashmina to reduce wastage and secure better prices for growers.
Describing Ladakh Pashmina as a heritage of Ladakh and the Changpa nomadic community, Saxena said the objective of the new measures was to ensure that pastoral families who had preserved Pashmina rearing for generations received a greater share of its economic value.
“Pashmina is not merely a product; it is a part of Ladakh’s cultural identity and the livelihood of thousands of our pastoral families,” Saxena said, adding that the production-based incentive and revolving fund were intended to strengthen the sector and improve returns to nomadic pastoral communities.
The Changthang Nomadic Festival, held on the banks of Tsomoriri Lake, drew more than 10,000 people, including foreign tourists and local residents.
Saxena said the festival had evolved from a local celebration into an international event, providing a platform to showcase Changpa culture, traditional pastoral practices, handicrafts, music, dance, cuisine and the community’s way of life to audiences from India and abroad.
He also emphasised the need to promote responsible tourism alongside sustainable livelihoods, linking the growing profile of the Changthang festival with the economic and cultural interests of the region’s nomadic communities.
