Leh, Sep 18: The Ladakh administration has doubled the minimum procurement price of Sea Buckthorn from Rs 150 to Rs 300 per kilogram, in a move aimed at increasing returns for farmers and strengthening the local value chain around the region’s indigenous berry.
Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the revised price on Friday while inaugurating the first two-day International Sea Buckthorn Conclave in Leh.
The conclave has brought together around 20 buyers and nearly 120 MSME-registered entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups involved in the Sea Buckthorn sector. Experts, researchers and entrepreneurs from Mongolia, Vietnam and Arunachal Pradesh are also participating in the event.
The administration has set a target of increasing the commercial recovery of the naturally growing crop from the present estimated 15 per cent to at least 50 per cent this year, with the aim of achieving full utilisation by next year.
Officials said harvesting remains one of the major challenges because Sea Buckthorn grows in dense, thorny bushes, making the collection of berries labour-intensive and difficult. The administration is looking at modern harvesting methods to reduce losses and improve the quantity available for processing and marketing.
Saxena said the administration was also working on a comprehensive action plan covering cultivation, harvesting, processing, packaging and marketing of Sea Buckthorn within Ladakh.
He said the focus would be on ensuring that a greater share of the economic value generated from the berry reaches farmers, entrepreneurs and local communities.
The LG also highlighted the GI registration of Ladakh Sea Buckthorn and its inclusion under the One District One Product initiative for Leh district as steps that have strengthened its identity and market potential.
The administration said a high-level committee has also been constituted by the Union Ministry of Agriculture to examine the establishment of a dedicated National Sanjeevani Research Centre in Nubra Valley. The proposed centre would focus on research, genetic improvement, propagation, harvesting and value addition of Sea Buckthorn.
During the event, Saxena released a postal cover featuring Ladakh’s Sea Buckthorn.
Unlike conventional conference venues, the conclave is being held at the Choglamsar forest, where Sea Buckthorn grows naturally, allowing participants to observe the crop in its native environment and discuss harvesting and value-addition practices on the ground.
