Research Projects

Pashmina (aka Cashmere) is the world’s most sought-after natural animal fibre. It is the soft undercoat of the Pashmina goat. This goat has a specific geographical distribution, mainly in India, China, Iran, Mongolia, and Afghanistan. Although India contributes less than 1% of the global Pashmina production, because of its finest quality (11-13 µm diameter), it is sold globally under the GI tag of CASHMERE, which belongs to India. This goat is a secure investment and a stable source of income in the cold and arid deserts of Ladakh. These animals provide the only practical means of utilizing vast areas of natural grasslands of Ladakh where crop production is practically not viable. The annual production of Pashmina in India is around 40-50 tons, derived from ~3lac goats. In India, the average Pashmina yield per goat is approx. 130-170g annually, while in China, Australia and New Zealand the average yield per goat is around 500g. Notably, within the Changthangi Pashmina goats, diversity does exist, and some goats produce over 550g of Pashmina annually. This highlights the potential for improving fiber yield by selecting high genetic potential goats for breeding. However, due to harsh climatic conditions (-40°C winters), and significant weather fluctuations, accurate data collection for scientific breeding programs is practically impossible and has not happened in the past 100 years. Consequently, the average yield per goat has remained stagnant (or even reducing) for over a century, as noted by Walter Lawrence in his famous book ‘Kashmir Vale’. This stagnation in fiber yield has placed many Changpa families (Pashmina goat rearers) in precarious situations. To address these challenges, a research project under the NASF-2015/20 was launched to study OMICS of Pashmina goats. Under NASF we have successfully sequenced and assembled the complete Pashmina goat genome, creating transcriptome maps and databases for traits like fibre color and follicle cyclicity (https://skuastk.org/). Building on this foundation, in the PM-ECRG 2024, we aim to transition from basic to applied research. We have established a well-defined cohort of Pashmina goats with extremely-high & extremely-low fiber-producing potential – under the NASF program. Using these goats and phenotypic information collected over the last 3 fibre seasons, we plan to use Next-Generation Sequencing (specially GBS data) to identify QTLs and bio-markers specific to high Pashmina-producing goats. This will support the development of customized Marker-Assisted Breeding (MAB) program (specific to Indian Pashmina goats), allowing the selection of high-yield animals for breeding before trait expression, ensuring accurate selection and faster genetic improvement. The project focuses on generating sequencing data (GBS data) to identify QTLs associated with high Pashmina production, for the development of marker-assisted breeding (MAB) program for enhancing Pashmina fiber yield in Ladakh region.