LG Saxena says, “Ladakh’s Sea Buckthorn can emerge as a National Sanjeevani through research, value addition and sustainable commercialisation”
LEH: Ladakh has taken a major step towards transforming its high-value Himalayan crop, Sea Buckthorn, into a major centre of scientific research, value addition and sustainable rural enterprise, with the Union Agriculture Ministry constituting a High-Level Committee to examine the establishment of a dedicated National Sanjeevani Research Centre at Nubra.
Lieutenant Governor Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the development, describing it as a crucial move to harness the medicinal, nutritional and commercial potential of Sea Buckthorn, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has referred to as Ladakh’s “Sanjeevani.”
The committee was constituted following the LG’s request to Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on August 14, with the Minister directing its formation within a week. The committee has already arrived in Ladakh and is scheduled to meet farmers, cooperatives and officials in Nubra as part of its assessment.
According to the LG, the committee will submit its report within 45 days and undertake a comprehensive review of Sea Buckthorn in Ladakh, covering its natural distribution, cultivation, production, utilisation and ongoing research.
It will also explore interventions in genetic improvement, propagation, standardised cultivation, scientific harvesting, post-harvest management, processing and quality assurance—areas that could determine whether the crop can move from a largely natural Himalayan resource to a scientifically developed and commercially viable value chain.
Sea Buckthorn has considerable nutritional and commercial significance. The naturally occurring Himalayan plant is rich in Vitamins A, C and E and contains Omega-3, Omega-6, Omega-9 and the relatively rare Omega-7 fatty acid. Its potential spans food, nutrition, wellness, cosmetics and other value-added sectors.
The proposed research centre could therefore provide an institutional framework for bringing together scientific research, farmer production, processing, quality standards and market development under a coordinated national initiative.
The move is particularly significant for Ladakh’s farming and rural communities, where scientific cultivation and value addition could create new income opportunities while ensuring the sustainable utilisation of a resource naturally adapted to the region’s harsh Himalayan environment.
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for recognising the medicinal and nutritional importance of Sea Buckthorn, Saxena also thanked Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for the swift action on the proposal.
The initiative, he said, has the potential to unlock new avenues of scientific innovation, value addition and livelihood generation, positioning Ladakh’s indigenous Sea Buckthorn as a nationally significant Himalayan resource rather than merely a locally harvested crop.
