Ladakh sea buckthorn gets GI tag; seed oil sells at Rs 28,000 a litre

Ladakh's mountains bring to mind a desert landscape and bone-chilling cold. But a small orange fruit from the region has now drawn attention across the country. It is sea buckthorn. Union Minister Piyush Goyal shared a photograph of the fruit on social media and called it the "Gold of Ladakh". The fruit has received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.

The fruit grows on its own in extremely harsh conditions. It protects Ladakh's environment and also gives local farmers and entrepreneurs a major source of income.

Sea buckthorn grows easily at 14,000 feet in the Himalayas, where ordinary crops and trees do not survive. The plant is cultivated or grows naturally over a total of 13,000 hectares in the country, and more than 70 per cent of that is in the Union Territory of Ladakh alone. It is also found in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh, and in the high-altitude areas of Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. China is the biggest market for the fruit in the world, but Ladakh has become its main centre in India.

The shrub withstands everything from cold of minus 40 degrees Celsius to harsh summers. Its roots take firm hold even in sandy, rocky soil that does not retain water, at heights of 4,000 to 14,000 feet. The roots check soil erosion, so the plant plays a major part in saving land from turning into desert in a fragile ecosystem like Ladakh's. Farming here depends entirely on nature and is organic. No chemical fertilisers or pesticides are used, which is why the quality and medicinal properties of the fruit grown there are considered among the best in the world. According to government figures, Ladakh produces about 600 tonnes of berries every year.

Scientists and nutritionists have given sea buckthorn the status of a superfood. The main reason is the very high vitamin C content of the berries, which have many times more vitamin C than an ordinary lemon. They also contain vitamin E, carotenoids, the vitamin B complex and plenty of antioxidants. The pulp and seeds are rich in omega-3, 6 and 9 and in omega-7 fatty acid, which is considered rare. Omega-7 gives the fruit special demand in health and beauty markets worldwide. It is considered very effective for nourishing the skin, regenerating cells and keeping the digestive system healthy.

Ladakh's Department of Industries and Commerce has received the official GI tag for "Ladakh Sea-Buckthorn". It is the fourth GI tag Ladakh has received. It will protect the identity of the local product and curb counterfeit products in the market. Local farmers and processing industries can now get a fair and higher price for their produce in India and abroad.

Harvesting the fruit is not easy. The shrubs have sharp thorns, so picking by hand is laborious for local women and farmers, and the fruit can burst while being picked. As a remedy, DIHAR (Defence Institute of High Altitude Research), under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has built a special electric harvester. It allows the fruit to be picked properly in less time and without pricking from the thorns.

The fruit is not used only for eating or juice. In 2015, DRDO gave the patent and technology for sea buckthorn-based products to Patanjali Ayurved. Earlier, the "Leh Berry" juice brand had come to market in collaboration with Ladakh Foods. The technology for herbal tea made from the leaves has been given to private companies, and the tea is exported to more than five countries. Oil extracted from the seeds and pulp sells at a very high price in the cosmetics and skincare industry. According to local entrepreneurs, pulp oil is selling at about Rs 20,000 to Rs 22,000 a litre and seed oil at Rs 28,000 a litre.

With the Ladakh administration's new policies and the support of technology, sea buckthorn is no longer just a wild fruit. It is becoming a "golden crop" that strengthens Ladakh's economy and gives locals lasting employment.