Ganderbal, Nov 16: Ladakh’s Sea Buckthorn fruit will now get a unique identity in the country and abroad as it gets a Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
The Geographical Indication Registry under DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GoI, approved the Department of Industries and Commerce, Ladakh as the Registered Proprietor for ‘Ladakh Sea Buckthorn’ in Class 31.
This would be the fourth GI Tag for Ladakh.
Earlier, Ladakh Pashmina, Apricot (Raktse Carpo species) and Ladakhi wood carvings have also got GI tags.
Sea Buckthorn is the second fruit of Ladakh which is getting special recognition in the form of a GI tag.
At present, efforts are being made to promote the Sea Buckthorn fruit found in Ladakh.
Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae L) is a wonder plant of Ladakh and named ‘Leh Berry’ produces small orange or yellow coloured berries which are sour in taste but rich in vitamins, especially Vitamin C.
Many Sea Buckthorn products have nutritional and medicinal value.
It is naturally distributed over 11,500 hectares in the Ladakh region.
The shrub can withstand extreme temperatures from minus 43 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius and is considered drought-resistant.
These two characteristics make the shrub an ideal plant species to establish in cold deserts.
Sea Buckthorn berries have a unique characteristic of remaining intact on the shrub throughout the winter months despite of the subzero temperature.
Many bird species feed on the berries when other source of food is limited in the region.
The leaves serve as protein-rich fodder for cold desert animals like sheep, goats, donkeys, cattle, and double-hump camels.
The thorny and bushy growth of the shrub provides a protective shelter for flora and fauna thereby maintaining the fragile ecosystem of the cold arid region.
Sea Buckthorn has been judiciously used by people living in the cold deserts.
Due to the scarcity of resources, Sea Buckthorn has been used traditionally for a variety of purposes.
Every part of the plant – fruit, leaf, twig, root, and thorns has been traditionally used as medicine, nutritional supplement, fuel and fence, and therefore, Sea Buckthorn is popularly known as ‘Wonder Plant’, ‘Ladakh Gold’, ‘Golden Bush’ or ‘Gold Mine’ of cold deserts.