Mongolia’s Cashmere Industry

Mongolia is the world's second largest cashmere producer, next to China, accounting for about one-third of the world's cashmere supply.
Cashmere is also Mongolia’s third largest export commodity after copper and gold.
The country has an annual output of about 9,400 tons of cashmere.
Most of the product exported is raw cashmere.
According to the data from the Mongolian Cashmere and Wool Association, cashmere exports can bring in revenue of US$250 million every year and provide jobs for 7,000 people.
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On a broader picture, according to an IMF report, animal husbandry accounts for 90% of Mongolia's agricultural production, and one out of every four Mongolians is engaged in the animal husbandry industry.
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Mongolia’s cashmere industry has grown substantially in recent years, largely  because the demand for cashmere clothing has soared in recent years.
Mongolia has vast pastures.
In the past 30 years, the share of goats among several species of the livestock has increased from 19% to 60%.
In addition to its high yield, the cashmere produced in Mongolia is also famous for its high quality.
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The expansion of cashmere industry in Mongolia has raised environmental concerns.
Unlike sheep, goats eat grass roots together with grass, making it more difficult for grasslands to recover themselves.
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A 2013 study by Oregon State University in the United States showed that 80% of Mongolian grassland degradation was caused by overgrazing.
It is not difficult to imagine that in the long run, the livestock industry that supports a quarter of Mongolia’s population will gradually shrink.
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Warning: these questons and answers are not all representative of the way questions will be asked and answered in the pilot, because some questions are compound and some answers do not include citations.

Q: Where does Mongolia stands in the world in cashmere export?
A: The second largest exporter.

Q: Which country in the largest exporter?
A: China

Q: What is the percentage of Mongolia’s cashmere export in the world market?
A: One third.

Q: Is cashmere is a major export commodity of Mongolia?
A: Yes, it’s the third largest export commodity after copper and gold.

Q: What is the annual output of cashmere of the country?
A: 9,400 tons.

Q: What is the major cashmere product for export in the country?
A: Raw cashmere.

Q: What is the amount of the country’s annual export of cashmere?
A: US$250 million.

Q: How many jobs does the cashmere export industry provide in Mongolia?
A: 7,000.

Q: Would the industry be sustainable?
A: No. There are environmental concerns that would make the industry deline.

Q: What is the key concern about the environment and the industry?
A: Goats, unlike sheep, eat grass roots together with grass, making it more difficult for grasslands to recover themselves.