Pastoralism and Rangeland Management on the Tibetan Plateau in ...

Wool is sheared three times a year which reduces the fibre length affording
more labour for ginning <strong>and</strong> spinning. The diameter of the fibre is less than
25 micron which is graded as fine wool. The fleece is sheared with traditional
h<strong>and</strong> tools which may cause loss to the wool <strong>and</strong> is labour-intensive <strong>and</strong> takes
about an hour to shear about 400 grams of the fleece. Presently a sizeable proportion
of wool is wasted due to skin diseases, parasitism, mineral deficiency,
mal-nutrition etc. <strong>and</strong> these compel the sheep farmer to multiple shearing.
Leaving the fleece on the body of the sheep for more than 3–4 months results
in shedding of the fleece <strong>and</strong> the hair is wasted in the bushes <strong>and</strong> thorns
2.2.5 The Wool Processing <strong>and</strong> cottage industry
Scouring of the raw greasy wool is not in practice, however, the sheep is washed
one day before the wool-shearing <strong>and</strong> all dust, dung clumps, thorns, twigs,
leaves <strong>and</strong> seed etc. of herbs/shrubs are removed. After clipping the fleece is
mixed <strong>and</strong> rubbed with white s<strong>and</strong>-dust. This helps to some extent to remove
the grease; however, the complete de-greasing is possible only when the fleece
is washed with non-corrosive detergents in warm water. Carding of wool is
also labour-consuming activity <strong>and</strong> now small carding machines have been
introduced which are rented for use by individuals. Spinning, to make yarn, is
a technical <strong>and</strong> labour-intensive activity <strong>and</strong> on that mostly the quality of the
patti depends. The yarn is then converted to the course cloth patti through the
h<strong>and</strong> looms.
Major product of wool is the coarse cloth generally known as patti or shu in
Chitrali, weaved in h<strong>and</strong>-looms with nine to ten inches width, which is a cottage
industry in Chitral. Garam Chashma is well known for its quality patti,
commonly known as moghakan. Mogh is a village in Garam Chashma Tehsil
on the left bank of the Lutkho River. Raw wool processing <strong>and</strong> preparation
of woollen products, mainly the patti, has, however, quite a few labour constraints,
one major of them the homespun yarn making from raw wool. The
yarn quality is also coarse <strong>and</strong> has little scope for fine quality patti preparation.
The improvement in the yarn quality would allow a larger value addition to the
patti <strong>and</strong> its further products.
2.2.6 Current support to the wool cottage industry
Wool production is complementary to the seasonality in mountain areas.
Woollen h<strong>and</strong>icrafts making is the primary activity during winter, when other
labour intensive farming <strong>and</strong> extensive livestock management <strong>and</strong> herding
activities are no more possible. Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP)
has supported the training of women in knitting <strong>and</strong> knitting machines were
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