Seabuckthorn crop ready in Lahaul-Spiti

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Women harvest berries as demand grows outside the state

Lahaul-Spiti: The seabuckthorn crop has ripened in Lahaul-Spiti, with local women harvesting naturally growing berries from forests and riverbanks, even as production fell about 30 percent this year because of unfavourable weather. Orders from other states have continued, providing a market for the produce.

Women have collected the thorny berries and prepared juice and dried fruit for sale. Women’s groups were also processing the fruit, while local residents sought government support to promote commercial cultivation through hybrid plants.

Amarchand, a farmer from Khangsar village, said he had started cultivating seabuckthorn in 2009 with 500 plants. He has since developed around 1,000 plants on 12 bighas. He said he produced 100 to 150 litres of juice annually and sold it for Rs 700 to Rs 1,000 per litre. This year, he expected to produce only around 80 litres due to lower production.

Amarchand said seabuckthorn can be cultivated on barren land and planted in areas vulnerable to landslides. He said the crop matured in September and October, after the main agricultural season, and can provide an off-season income source.

Kusum, a resident of Jispa village, said she harvested seabuckthorn with other women and prepared juice. She said the juice was being sold locally for around Rs 1,000 per litre. She added that harvesting was difficult because the plants had numerous thorns and the berries were small.

Residents demanded a processing plant in the valley to produce juice, extract oil from seeds and leaves, and make other products. They also asked the government to promote seabuckthorn cultivation on a commercial scale.