Tibetan cashmere competition showcases skill and speed, cashmere auctions empower local herders to prosper

The villagers of Longmenka in Rutog County, Ngari Prefecture, southwest China's Tibet, have relied on animal husbandry for generations. The white cashmere goats they breed yield high-quality plateau cashmere fibers. However, the remote location and limited access to information made it challenging for the herders to connect with potential buyers. The Aid-Tibet work team from north China's Hebei Province found a creative solution to the problem by using auctions to directly link local producers of premium cashmere with interested buyers. As a result, the Longmenka villagers showed an ever-growing enthusiasm for goat rearing. Today, the sale price of original, unprocessed cashmere from Rutog County has doubled, benefiting over 7,600 herders.