States' News

Australian Merino sheep - Himachal Pradesh

August 31 , 2026 8 hrs 0 min 16 0

Himachal Pradesh introduced Australian Merino sheep to improve wool quality and increase the state’s wool production.
The ₹6-crore programme began in 2021 under the National Livelihood Mission, with 240 Merino sheep imported from Australia.
Merino and indigenous Gaddi sheep were crossbred through artificial insemination, producing 800 healthy lambs.
The programme aims to reduce wool thickness from about 27 microns to 21–22 microns for producing finer, apparel-grade wool.
Himachal Pradesh plans to increase its annual wool production from about 1,500 tonnes to 3,000 tonnes by 2027.