Bhanu P Lohumi Tribune News Service Shimla March 11 The cold desert areas of five Himalayan states including Himachal are on the threshold of a new era of prosperity following the approval of Rs 1260 crore for the cultivation of sea buckthorn a wonder plant with multiple qualities by the Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change. Wonder plant with multiple qualities Fruit and leaves of sea buckthorn are rich in vitamins (C E A B K) carotenoids sterols polyphones and omega fatty acids which have a great demand in food cosmetic and drug industries. Rs1260 crore project The Union Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change has approved Rs1260 crore for the cultivation of sea buckthorn a wonder plant with multiple qualities The project was submitted to the Union ministry by the Sea buckthorn Association of India based at CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University Palampur in February last year Under the project sea buckthorn plantation will be raised on 2500 hectares in Himachal Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir and 500 hectares in Sikkim and Arunachal over 10 years The farm varsity has imported 14 mild thorny and high-yielding Russian sea buckthorn varieties which will be introduced on small-scale under a scheme of the Horticulture Department on experimental basis The project was submitted to the Union ministry by the Sea buckthorn Association of India based at CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University Palampur in February last year. Under the project sea buckthorn plantation will be raised on 2500 hectares in Himachal Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir and 500 hectares in Sikkim and Arunachal over 10 years. The plantation of sea buckthorns also known as “chharma” will be undertaken on 250 hectares in Lahaul & Spiti and Kinnaur districts in five years. Chharma would be planted on 50 hectares in 2021-22 said Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur during his Budget speech. Secretary Sea buckthorn Association of India Prof Virendra Singh said grown at 2500-4500 metre its fruit and leaves were rich in vitamins (C E A B K) carotenoids sterols polyphones and omega fatty acids which have a great demand in food cosmetic and drug industries he said. On the recommendations of the Ministry of Finance Anand Kumar Prabhakar Deputy Inspector General of Forest had asked Principal Chief Conservators of Forest of the five states to prepare project proposals on sea buckthorn. The university has also imported 14 mild thorny and high-yielding Russian sea buckthorn varieties including table variety which will be introduced on small-scale under a scheme of the Horticulture Department on experimental basis.

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