TEXTILE workers in Kirklees have been asked by the US government to help promote cashmere wool produced by goat farmers in Afghanistan.
Calder Textiles, based in Thornhill, Dewsbury, is now dyeing cashmere wool from the Herat area in the hope Afghan firms can develop a market.
Stephen Norris from the firm said the US wanted to kick-start manufacturing across the war-torn country.
Mr Norris, who is in charge of dyeing at the Dewsbury mill, said the firm had been approached by a third party on behalf of the US government.
He said: “The idea is to take our samples to textile exhibitions across the world to promote this product – then others can buy yarn direct from the Afghans.”
Mr Norris said the mill had been asked to produce coloured samples which could be taken to exhibitions around the globe with the aim of drumming up interest in the region’s wool and showing Afghan farmers the potential market for their manufactured goods.
The raw wool from Herat will be processed at the mill.
Mr Norris said: “We were approached three or four months ago and introduced to a person on behalf of the US government who has a remit to resurrect the textile mills that are in mothballs in Afghanistan and to regenerate the industry in that country.
“He turned up with samples of cashmere that just been had spun in Kabul and he’s given us a shade pallet to reproduce.”
