Leh, August 25: The Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has constituted a High-Level Committee to examine the proposal for establishing a dedicated National Sanjeevani Research Centre for Sea Buckthorn in Nubra Valley, following a request by Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena.
The committee has been tasked with assessing the scope of research, development, scientific cultivation, value addition, processing and commercialisation of Sea Buckthorn, a high-value Himalayan crop with significant medicinal, nutritional and livelihood potential.
The development comes after L-G Saxena wrote to Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on August 14, 2026, proposing the establishment of the National Sanjeevani Research Centre in Nubra Valley, which is among the major Sea Buckthorn-producing areas of Ladakh.
Responding to the proposal, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) constituted the High-Level Committee on August 21 to examine the feasibility of the proposed centre and recommend an appropriate institutional and operational framework.
The committee, headed by Dr V.B. Patel, Additional Director General (F&PC), Horticultural Science Division, ICAR, includes Dr Maheshwar Singh, Dean (Agriculture), University of Ladakh, Leh; Dr Tsering Stobdan, Scientist-F, DRDO, Leh; and Tsewang Punchok, Director (Horticulture), Administration of UT Ladakh, among its members.
The committee undertook its first field visit to Ladakh on August 24 and held interactions with stakeholders and officials to assess the existing status of Sea Buckthorn cultivation, research, processing and utilisation in the region.
The proposal for the dedicated research centre followed L-G Saxena’s recent visit to Nubra Valley and interactions with farmers across Ladakh, during which several stakeholders sought greater support for scientific cultivation, processing and marketing of Sea Buckthorn.
A naturally occurring Himalayan plant, Sea Buckthorn has applications across agriculture, food products, nutraceuticals and processing. Its cultivation and value addition also have the potential to create livelihood opportunities for farmers, entrepreneurs, cooperatives and local communities.
The proposed centre is aimed at developing Ladakh as a hub for Sea Buckthorn research, innovation, value addition and sustainable commercialisation, while strengthening scientific support for farmers and local enterprises.
