Sea Buckthorn gets GI tag

• In Ladakh, after GI Tag for Apricot (Raktsey Karpo), Pashmina, and Ladakhi Wood Carving, the Geographical Indication Registry has officially granted the GI tag for ‘Ladakh Sea Buckthorn’.
• GIR is operating under the DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• Sea Buckthorn is one of the most profitable crop of UT Ladakh having 90 % production from Ladakh in India.

ABOUT SEA BUCKTHORN

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.