KARGIL: Farmers in Kargil have generated around ₹6 crore in revenue from seabuckthorn this year, Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor (CEC), LAHDC Kargil, Dr Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, said on Wednesday, as he called for greater processing, value addition and marketing of the region’s natural produce to create jobs and diversify the local economy.
Akhoon was speaking at the inauguration-cum-concluding ceremony of the Rabani Agri Processing Unit at Brakoo, Sankoo, where he highlighted the growing commercial potential of seabuckthorn and urged young people to look beyond conventional employment and take up entrepreneurship with the support of government schemes.
The Rabani unit, established under the Subsidy Development Programme (SDP) for 2024-25 with ₹20.10 lakh in subsidy assistance, recorded its highest production in 2026, processing around 30 metric tonnes of produce, according to its co-founder Mohd Hassan Rabani.
The unit has also processed around 4 metric tonnes of seabuckthorn dry berries and 6 metric tonnes of seabuckthorn pomace. Rabani said progressive farmers associated with the initiative had generated substantial incomes, with some earning around ₹8 lakh or more within two months.
Congratulating the entrepreneurs and farmers associated with the unit, Akhoon said such enterprises demonstrated how local natural resources could be converted into income and employment opportunities.
He stressed the need to strengthen the economic potential of seabuckthorn as well as other locally available resources, including apricot, apple, vegetables, mushrooms and aquaculture, through processing, value addition, branding and better market access.
Akhoon said the region’s development approach should combine sustainable use of natural resources with the creation of sustainable livelihoods. He also noted the increasing tourist footfall in the region and called for agriculture, horticulture, tourism and allied sectors to be developed together to build a more diversified local economy.
Urging youth to make greater use of government schemes and entrepreneurship opportunities, the CEC said a government job should not be viewed as the only livelihood option. He encouraged young people to establish enterprises, generate employment for others and become job creators rather than only job seekers.
He also underlined the medicinal and health-related potential of seabuckthorn and called for greater emphasis on processing and development of marketable products from the locally available resource.
Executive Councillor LAHDC Kargil Syed Ali congratulated the Rabani unit and said Kargil’s natural resources could become sustainable sources of income and employment if explored scientifically and commercially.
He appreciated the Departments of Horticulture and Agriculture for promoting employment-oriented initiatives through subsidised schemes and urged unemployed youth to come forward with innovative business ideas.
Executive Councillor Aga Syed Mujtaba Musavi also congratulated the entrepreneurs and farmers associated with the unit and stressed the need for processing, value addition and effective marketing of Kargil’s agricultural and horticultural produce to secure better returns for farmers.
He identified seabuckthorn, apricot, apple and other local resources as areas with scope for employment generation and economic activity, and encouraged youth to explore opportunities beyond conventional employment.
Chief Horticulture Officer Kargil Ali Raza highlighted the scope of seabuckthorn-based enterprises and urged educated youth to avail themselves of departmental schemes for setting up processing units and other horticulture-based ventures.
