National Mission on Seabuckthorn

Seabuckthorn is a medicinal plant found in the Himalayan region. Our country holds tremendous potential in respect of Seabuckthorn fruit production and diverse varieties which have health-promoting properties and can play a crucial role in preventing soil erosion and help nitrogen fixation in cold and desert areas. This is the most important environmental benefit of the Seabuckthron. Seabuckthorn fruit grows in the cold deserts of Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, Lahul-Spiti in Himachal Pradesh and some parts of Arunachal Pradesh. In 2010, the then Minister of Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh had launched the National Mission on Seabuckthorn in Leh. The minister stresses the need for creation of National Consortium of Seabuckthorn to integrate functioning of Defense Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR), Leh, which is one of the laboratories of Defense Research & Development Organization (DRDO) located at Leh (11,500 ft) and allied institutions for promoting its impact at national level. The Mission sets a target for increasing the area under Seabuckthorn to 50,000 hectares of land by 2020 under phase one in four districts of Leh, Kargil, Kinnour and Lahoul and Spiti through a concerted effort by researchers, academicians, self help groups and Ministry of Forest. Rs 25 crore was sanctioned in principal to initiate Seabuckthorn program under the Mini Mission on Cold Desert Ecosystem under the mega project Green India Mission. DIHAR (DRDO) has been appointed as the nodal centre of National Seabuckthorn Mission in view of the pioneering Research and Development and commercialization of Seabuckthorn based products in India. ^{(Image Source: seabuckthorninsider.com)}