The increasing demand for wool imports has prompted shepherds in Uttarakhand, India to introduce a batch of lambs, products of crossbreeding native sheep with Australian Merino sheep, by the end of this year. The Australian Merino is renowned for its soft and fine wool, which is a prime choice for clothing materials. This decision was prompted by the decreasing quality and quantity of carpet and garment grade wool, which is a result of excessive inbreeding.
Key Points about Wool Production and Consumption in India
As the seventh-largest producer of wool globally, India contributes approximately 2-3% to total world production. Besides, with its over 64 million sheep, it houses the third-largest sheep population worldwide. The country’s annual wool output is roughly 43-46 million kilograms. Despite its contribution, India’s domestic production is still not sufficient; hence, it relies heavily on Australia and New Zealand for raw wool imports. The imported wool is used to make products such as carpets, yarn, fabrics, and garments for domestic consumption and export to countries like the United States and Europe.
Rajasthan, known for its superior carpet-grade Chokla and Magra wool, is the leading wool producer in India. While carpet grade wool is coarser and accounts for around 85% of India’s production, apparel-grade wool makes up less than 5%. The remaining wool, characterized by its coarse texture, is suitable for making rough blankets.
The Importance of India’s Wool Textile Industry
India’s wool textile sector provides employment to about 2.7 million workers. Of these, 1.2 million are employed in the organized sector, another 1.2 million in sheep rearing and farming, with the remaining 0.3 million accounted for by weavers in the carpet sector.
Challenges Faced by India’s Wool Industry
India’s wool industry is faced with several challenges. These include a decline in the use of indigenous wool, a decrease in pastures due to plantations and urbanization, a shift in farmers’ focus from wool to meat, outdated and inadequate pre- and post-loom processing facilities, ineffective role of state wool marketing organizations, lack of a Minimum Support Price (MSP) system, and absence of an educational institute for wool technology.
Specifically, over the last decade until 2020, the consumption of wool by the country’s processing units increased by 50%, but the use of indigenous wool dropped to nearly 10% of the total current sales in Bikaner, Rajasthan. Data from the state’s agriculture department reveals that pastures have been on the decline, with grazing land in Rajasthan decreasing from 1.7 million hectares in 2007-08 to 1.6 million hectares in 2017-18.
Government Initiatives and the Way Forward
Recognizing the need for the holistic growth of the wool sector, the Ministry of Textiles introduced the Integrated Wool Development Programme (IWDP). The aim was to make sheep rearing appealing and profitable since most shepherds rear sheep out of necessity or tradition rather than choice. To achieve this, there is a need to increase awareness, improve access to pastures, facilitate wool marketing, offer competitive prices, and upgrade the supply chain for herders, who are typically the most disadvantaged members of society.
