Leh, Oct 20 (IANS) Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday highlighted Ladakh’s golden berry, the Sea Buckthorn, as a remarkable high-altitude fruit, praising its exceptional vitamin content and its role in boosting local livelihoods in the union territory.
“GI-tagged Seabuckthorn of Ladakh is a remarkable gift of nature, known for its exceptional vitamin content and rich nutritional profile. A golden treasure of India’s natural heritage, empowering local livelihoods and advancing global wellness,” the Union Minister wrote on his X handle.
Although awarded the GI tag in 2023, Ladakh’s golden berry, the Sea Buckthorn, is still not fully introduced to the world market despite its unmatched nutritional value.
Locally, the Ladakh Sea Buckthorn is called the Ladakh Berry or ‘Tsesta Lulu’. It is a hardy, nutrient-dense wild berry shrub that thrives in the cold, dry high-altitude deserts of the Himalayas.
Ladakh accounts for roughly 64 per cent to 70 per cent of India’s total Sea Buckthorn cultivation and wild growth area, spanning Leh, Nubra, Kargil, and Zanskar along riverbanks like the Indus and Shyok.
The berry was officially awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) tag in 2023, recognising its unique regional authenticity and a high bioactive concentration.
The plant survives temperatures ranging from minus 30 degrees to 30 degrees Celsius and grows wild at altitudes exceeding 3,000 metres. Its deep root systems also make it vital for soil conservation and a land-degradation control mechanism.
These Berries are hand-picked once a year, typically peaking between August and October (with main harvests in September and October).
Due to its unmatched and phenomenal nutritional richness, Sea Buckthorn was called the magical ‘Sanjeevani Booti’ in ancient records.
Medicinally, it contains up to 20 times more Vitamin C than oranges. It is a rare plant food source that contains all four Omega fatty acids — Omega-3, 6, 7, and 9.
It is particularly prized for skin and metabolic health. In addition, it is packed with over 190 nutrients, including flavonoids, beta-carotene, antioxidants, amino acids, and fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, K).
Ladakh UT Administration has inaugurated a dedicated Centre of Excellence for Sea Buckthorn at Nimoo to modernise farming, training, and value chain development. The berry is processed by local women-led enterprises and startups into pulp concentrates, juices, jams, teas, chutneys, nutraceuticals, and cosmetics.
Ladakh has a majority of the country’s total Sea Buckthorn population, spanning about 13,000 hectares. Traditionally used in Tibetan and Ladakhi medicine for immunity and digestion, it is now processed into juices, pure pulp, jams, teas, facial serums, and cold-pressed oils by local initiatives.
With the Union Minister highlighting the GI-tagged fruit, the government aims to boost the livelihoods of locals and showcase the remarkable gift of nature to the world market as well.
–IANS
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