Ulaanbaatar/MONTSAME/. Mongolia produces 48 percent of the total raw cashmere in the world. For centuries, Mongolian nomads have a long tradition of raising five kinds of livestock, including goats, in the vast territory and harsh climate, which resulted in four naturally occurring colours that nomads are able to obtain from their goats.

The naturally occurring colours that are supplied by Mongolian nomads are white, beige, warm gray and brown. On the contrary, the cashmere supplied by China (Inner Mongolia) are obtained from goats that are raised in restricted farming facility. It limits naturally occurring colours by two colours.

Mongolian cashmere manufacturers, in particular Gobi Corporation produces its cashmere products by using four naturally occurring colors under its Gobi Organic label. It is highly valued and sought after by consumers of Japanese, French, German, Canadian and South Korean markets.

Gobi Corporation was established in 1981 and is one of the biggest vertically integrated cashmere factories with the capacity to produce 1.5 million pieces of knitwear, 1.1 million meters of woven products and 162,000 pieces of sewn products annually, making it one of the world’s biggest cashmere coat producer in the world. The vertically integrated factory has been able to control and monitor its quality which has been valued by traders and wholesalers all around the world. The company has been able to implement total quality control in all of its processes. As of today, the company sells its products at 64 franchise stores and flagships in 43 cities across the world. 

As sustainability has become a big part of the market, cashmere fibers obtained from naturally bred goats are in high demand and are being valued by the market, thus grabbing the interest of Italian and Chinese cashmere manufacturers.  

As of today, 85 percent of the total raw cashmere supplied by Mongolia are being purchased by companies from China, Italy and England in scoured /washed/ or de-haired form which are then used to produce garments to be sold under world known high end luxurious brands. It shows the quality and value that Mongolian raw cashmere can offer to world renowned brands.

Mongolian cashmere fibers are longer in length compared to Chinese cashmere fibers, therefore, resulting in higher quality cashmere yarns. High quality cashmere yarns directly influence on the quality of finished garments.

Mongolian producers are using up-to-date technology to produce high quality products from its initial stage of primary production to the final stage of garment production to supply to the international market.

The Alashanzuoqi white cashmere goats in China are well known for its white cashmere. Due to the high demand for this type of cashmere and high value for its white cashmere, nomads in certain regions in Mongolia (Bayankhongor province) have started herding white goats with a purpose to get the high value for its raw cashmere. As a result, we have high quality white cashmere. Furthermore, there are certain regions in Mongolia that are well-known with their high quality specific colors, which allow companies to work on those regions to get the highest quality raw cashmere that can be supplied to the world market.

Gobi Corporation has been working closely with Sustainable Fiber Alliance (SFA) with aims to educate nomads, giving them knowledge on sustainability. The Sustainable Fiber Alliance is a non-profit organization based in London, UK with an aim to promote global sustainability standards for cashmere production in order to preserve and restore grasslands, ensure animal welfare and secure livelihoods. Some notable brands which are members of the SFA organization are Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Gobi Corporation and Joshua Ellis.

In this regard, it has organized training and is on track to build wells and warehouses which will help nomads to herd their goats sustainable while preparing its cashmere in a safe environment.