Kathmandu, January 6:

Eager to buy pashmina products but fear that it may be fake due to the puzzling cheap prices, here is a good news. Nepal Pashmina Industries Association (NPIA) is launching its own brand

to ensure the quality, soon.

The industry is soon getting its own brand to check and guarantee its product quality both in local and international market. “Right now we have applied for brand registration in the US, EU, Norway, Switzerland, China, Korea, and Australia. But it might take around ten months,” Shanker Prasad Pandey, president at NPIA said.

According to the association, all the pashmina products found in local market are not original. “Due to cheap and duplicate products, original products in the domestic market are hurt,” he added.

“Globally, Nepali pashmina has small but a good market. Quality conscious customers buy original Nepali pashmina,” pandey said. “Local customers are also quality conscious.”

The market is flooded with shawl-sized fake products. The products available between Rs 200 to Rs 300 are of viscous polyester; Rs 500 and Rs 600 are of wool; and Rs 1,200 and Rs 1,300 are mixed silk and wool. “Because original pashmina shawl comes for above Rs 3,000,” said Pandey. “The original export quality pashmina costs Rs 4,000 to upwards.”

“After the registration of own brand and with government’s support, Nepali pashmina can take market by strom, he said adding that it will give them the teeth to take action against fake products in the market.

“Brand registration is not enough as it should be supported by policy also,” said Dilip Khanal, executive secretary at Federation of Handicraft Association of Nepal (FHAN).

During the fiscal year 2007-08, Rs 5,84,265,083 worth pashmina was exported that is 21.78 per cent of total handicraft goods’ export.

During the first three months of fiscal year 2008-09, Nepal exported Rs 2,24,468,491 worth pashmina — an increment of 42.56 per cent over the same period last fiscal year that witnessed Rs 1,57,460,067 exports.

“The overall exports was satisfactory in 2008. If not hit by global recession, 2009 may also be satisfactory,” Pandey said adding that within 2010 Nepali Pashmina will set a benchmark.