Gangtok, Jan. 17, 2010:

Under the Greening India Program, Government of India has included the species of Sea Buckthorn for the Himalayan terrain of the country for development and extension of this species. The central government have selected Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim for the same.

PCCF cum Secretary Forest Environment and Wildlife Management Department S T Lachungpa informed that the area in Lachung and Lachen are full of sea buckthorn species. It covers more than 1000 hectors. This year the department of forest is planning extension of about 500 hectors.

Last year the department extracted 200 liters of sea buckthorn juice and provided SIMFED for marketing. SIMFED is selling the juice for Rs.100/- per liters and the response is positive till date. But the extraction of juice was made on experimental basis along with testing.

The department of forest along with SIMFED is working jointly for organic certification for the areas covering sea buckthorn and said that the certification process is under way with positive response.

Sea buckthorn grows around poor soil and degraded river bed and this species plays a vital role in nitrogen fixing too. The sea buckthorn grown in Western Himalayas of our country. The juice extracted from Sikkim species will in days to come be marketed in international arena as the quality of juice procured in Sikkim is of the highest quality.

Finally secretary concluded by stating that now the people of Lachung and Lachen and other parts of Sikkim where the species of sea buckthorn are found are aware, their participation for the preservation and protection are more than the department as they have understood the value of sea buckthorn now.

(Courtesy: Sikkim Mail)

 

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