Admin plans dedicated land parcels in Kargil
Kargil, Nov 04: In a major step toward promoting herbal agriculture in Ladakh, Chief Horticulture Officer (CHO) Ashiq Hussain on Monday announced that dedicated land parcels will be earmarked for the cultivation of medicinal plants in Kargil.
The announcement was made during a one-day Stakeholders’ Meet-cum-Workshop on “Opportunities in the Cultivation of Medicinal Plants in Ladakh”, held at the Baroo Conference Hall, Kargil. The event was jointly organized by the Regional Cum Facilitation Centre (Northern Region–II) of the National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of AYUSH, and the School of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SAS&T), University of Ladakh.
The workshop brought together policy-makers, agricultural experts, researchers, entrepreneurs, and farmers to discuss strategies for integrating traditional Amchi knowledge with scientific cultivation methods and tapping Ladakh’s potential for herbal farming.
Jenab Aga Syed Mujtaba, Hon’ble Executive Councillor (Agriculture), LAHDC Kargil, presided as the Chief Guest, assuring full support from the Council for expanding the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants in the region.
In his keynote address, Prof. T.H. Masoodi, Nodal Coordinator, RCFC, highlighted Ladakh’s rich biodiversity and called for a dedicated nursery for medicinal plants at the University of Ladakh. He also proposed the formation of farmer clusters to enable large-scale cultivation, pledging technical and institutional support from the RCFC.
Dr. Mohammad Mehdi, Head, KVK Zanskar, urged local youth and entrepreneurs to explore herbal farming as a sustainable livelihood avenue, while Ali Raza, Chief Agriculture Officer, and Niyaz Hussain, Ranger and Researcher, emphasized developing localized cultivation protocols suited to Ladakh’s cold-arid conditions.
Addressing participants, Aga Syed Mujtaba lauded the collaborative initiative and reaffirmed LAHDC Kargil’s commitment to supporting medicinal plant cultivation through policy and financial measures.
The session concluded with an open discussion, where participants shared field experiences and proposed establishing a dedicated department for medicinal plants in Ladakh. A memento was presented to Dr. Faizan Ahmad, Dean, SAS&T, Kargil Campus, for his coordination, followed by a vote of thanks.
The workshop ended with a collective resolve to harness Ladakh’s unique agro-climatic conditions for cultivating high-value medicinal plants, combining traditional knowledge with modern agricultural innovation.
