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Where there’s a wool…

March 22, 2019 | Michael Turtle | 6 Comments

LOCAL INDUSTRY

Cashmere in Mongolia

On the freezing plains of Mongolia, animals have had to evolve over time to protect themselves. For the goats who live there, they have managed to survive by developing thick coats of wool.

Stronger and warmer than anything found on other goats around the world, this wool brings with it not just the livelihoods of the animals who grow it, but also the people who herd them.

It is the foundation of Mongolia’s deep connection with cashmere.

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Gobi Factory, Ulaanbaatar

The machines are clattering away – it’s hard to hear over the top of them. Workers in protective suits move between them, pushing large baskets.

Room after room, different stages of the cashmere production line take place. The fibre is sorted in one area, then it’s turned into a usable consistency.

Colours are added in another section, then it’s put through a machine to prepare it for the final stages.

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The is the factory of the Gobi cashmere company, one of Mongolia’s biggest success stories.

Founded 35 years ago, it was once wholly owned by the government but is now in private hands. It employs more than 1500 people and many of them are here, concentrating on their specialised tasks.

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Gobi has about two thirds of the cashmere market in Mongolia and it sends its goods to distributors in more than 30 countries around the world.

I get a sense of the scale of the operation as I am taken around the factory. As well as the production floors, there are rooms where people are working on designs on computers and creating bespoke products to order.

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Gobi outlet store, Ulaanbaatar

Unfortunately, it’s not normally possible to see the inner workings of the Gobi factory. I’ve been offered exclusive access as part of an international delegation here in Ulaanbaatar for a conference.

Right next door is the company’s outlet store, which is popular with visitors who want to buy some clothes right from the source.

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

There’s a fashion show going on when I arrive there to have a look. It’s not hard to make these clothes look good – not only is the production quality world class but the designs are in line with international fashion standards.

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

I wander around the outlet and look at the stock on the shelves and hanging on the racks. It’s also incredibly affordable – much cheaper than you would find anywhere else in the world.

I guess the company saves a lot of money not having to ship the goods and deal with middlemen. I like to think it’s also a bit of a reward for anyone who has made the trek all the way to Ulaanbaatar!

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Mongolia’s cashmere industry

Cashmere is big business for Mongolia. They produce a third of the global supply and it is the country’s largest export after minerals.

The good news for the country’s economy is that demand has risen in recent years and so has the price, making for a nice increase in Mongolia’s GDP.

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Unfortunately it has had a flow-on effect that the country is still coming to terms with.

Most of the goats that produce the cashmere wool are tended by Mongolia’s nomadic herders. (You can see my story here about life as a Mongolian nomad). These nomads are now able to earn a lot more money by keeping goats than traditional livestock, so they’re increasing the size of their goat herds.

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

But the problem is that goats eat a lot more than the traditional animals like cows, sheep and yaks. And unlike those animals, they don’t just eat the shoots of the grass, they also go right down and eat the roots as well.

So the grasslands that are used for herding are coming under a pressure that seems unsustainable.

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

If you’ve never been to Mongolia, let me paint a picture for you. The long stretches of the plains have very little vegetation – certainly seeing a tree is uncommon.

There’s not much green around, the colour is more like a struggling brown. The ground is actually really dry and it’s at risk of becoming desert.

So when you have animals that rip up the grass so it can’t grow back, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The number of goats in Mongolia has tripled in the past 20 years and it shows no sign of abating.

The best figure I’ve seen shows that a nomadic farmer can earn about US$7500 a year from selling cashmere – which is a lot in a country where so many live under the poverty line.

So there’s no desire from an economic perspective for the nomads or the government to reduce the amount of goats in the country.

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

That’s a discussion the country will hopefully have in the coming years and it’s one of sustainability, not ethics.

As I walk through Gobi’s factory, it’s clear that the cashmere industry is something that should be celebrated in Mongolia. It is directly employing thousands of people on the production and sales side and thousands more who are working the land.

Gobi cashmere factory, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The harsh weather conditions here have created many unique cultural phenomena. Cashmere is one of them.

It’s a part of Mongolia and learning a bit more about it shows you another layer of this fascinating country.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. purna |

    February 1, 2018 at 6:12 pm

    Reply

    Very interesting and informative !
    Goats with wool !

    Up till now I knew that only sheep give us wool.
    Thanks to your blog i am learning so much.

  2. Billy Malik |

    December 24, 2018 at 1:17 pm

    Reply

    Hi
    Please contact me
    I have garments bussiness i Sweden
    Having several gents & ladies stores
    Even whole sale
    Please give me tel nr to contact or you van call me 0046-707-999925

  3. Jose Lema |

    August 23, 2019 at 8:30 am

    Reply

    Hi Dear, My name is Jose Lema from Ecuador I producer and exporter
    I need to contact a cashmere wool yarn producer Factory to purchase the yarn and to import to my Country Ecuador, please I will appreciate your help to get contact with some Factory

  4. Ryan |

    October 10, 2019 at 12:20 am

    Reply

    Hello, I’m looking to purchase cashmere clothing and apparel. We’re interested in branding and the ability to market this product in our home country, USA. We focus on premium products and currently export but would like to start importing from our Co-founder’s home country, Mongolia.

  5. svetlana a chrin |

    December 2, 2019 at 4:16 am

    Reply

    I would like find out if I can buy your cashmere throw from your factory ?

  6. Leela Savasta |

    February 17, 2020 at 3:10 pm

    Reply

    Can you do custom orders? We have a size chart and/ or pattern for a sweater we are looking to have produced. We are looking for a wool / cashmere blend as well as other fabric options.

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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