(a) whether the Government has planned for planting of seabuckthorn, which are rich source of nutrition and medicines, for both greening of the area and creating livelihoods in the Himalayan alpine and cold desert zones;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the details of incentives being given by the Government in this regard, and the annual capacity for processing of seabuckthorn berries established in the country so far?
THE MINISTER OF FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES(SHRI SUBODH KANT SAHAI)
(a) to (c): Ministry of Food Processing Industries
(MFPI) do not provide any incentives for the planting of
seabuckthorn. However, National Medicinal Plants Board
(NMPB) under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare is
implementing a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National
Mission on Medicinal Plants under which incentives are
provided for cultivation of medicinal plants including
seabuckthorn in identified clusters through Growers, Self
Help Groups, Producer Companies Growers Cooperatives etc.
The scheme is implemented through the State Horticulture
Department and State Medicinal Plants Boards at State
level. Under this scheme, subsidy @ 50% of cultivation
cost to a maximum of Rs. 50,000/- per Hectare is provided
for cultivation of seabuckthorn. Moreover, financial
assistance @ 25% of the project cost limited to a maximum
of Rs. 50.00 lakh is also available as back ended subsidy
for setting up of value addition and processing unit like
a solvent extraction / distillation unit, for production
of value added items. The plant has also been included
under the programme of resource augmentation undertaken
under the Central Sector Scheme for conservation,
development and sustainable management of medicinal
plants, in states of J&K, Sikkim and Uttarakhand. The
data regarding annual capacity for processing of
seabuckthorn berries is not maintained centrally by
Ministry of Food Processing Industries.